Watering is fundamental to gardening and yet so many of us are not doing it as effectively as we might. And the climate emergency is changing the way we garden. We have to adapt in many ways, watering being just one. So, as we start the growing season, here are seven tips for watering your school garden effectively, and making the water in your waterbutts go further.
Collect water!
Wildscapes work in a lot of schools, and access to water isn’t always easy. Outdoor taps are sometimes situated a long way from growing spaces. We’ve already mentioned waterbutts. If you don’t already have them but you have a roof (shed, school building, storage container), it’s easy to add a rainwater diverter and start collecting water. Waterbutts can be easily linked so you can add as many as space allows. Childsafe waterbutts are available. You can manage the water quality by adding a number of products such as a Freshatank antimicrobial disk.
Pick the right time to water
This isn’t always possible if your gardening activities are at a set time in the day, but ideally water in the morning. The RHS say:
“Water in the mornings, if you can, as this is when the sun comes up and plants will start to use water. The foliage and soil surface is also likely to stay drier for longer than evening watering, discouraging slugs, snails and mildew diseases. Plants start to transpire in sunlight, drawing water from the soil, through their roots, up their stems and out through tiny pores on their leaves called stomata. Evening watering is also fine, as the cooler conditions mean less water is lost to evaporation.
Watering in the heat of the day is not a good idea as much water is lost through evaporation from the surface of the soil and the plants will use water more efficiently if watered in the cooler parts of the day.”
And if you can’t water then, can you water when the garden is in shade?
Water the roots, not the leaves!
When you liberally sprinkle a plant with the watering can, much of the water ends up on the leaves. On a warm day it just evaporates and is wasted. Or it runs off the leaves and lands beyond the reach of the roots. So teach your school gardening club to water under the leaves at the base of the plant. You can always cut the ends off plastic pop bottles and sink them into the ground as a reservoir. Here’s a useful guide to doing just that.
Size matters!
Smaller raised beds, pots, and containers will dry out most quickly so concentrate limited water there (or plant your most drought tolerant plants in those places).
Water more but less often
Plants that are watered very regularly don’t need to put on root growth because the water is always laid on for them. Then, when they need longer roots to search out water (for example school holidays) they struggle. Give a good amount of water on a less frequent basis to encourage strong root growth.
Mulch your plants wherever possible
Let’s let Severn Trent Water explain:
“Mulch soil around plants with straw or bark.
This helps to prevent evaporation of water from the soil’s surface and also minimises the amount of water you need to water your plants.
This will also ward off slugs and prevent weeds from growing, which compete with your plants for water and nutrients.”
Mulch doesn’t have to be bought in. It’s perfectly possible to use old newspaper, for instance. Water the plants first so the mulch can do it’s job and trap the water where the plant can use it. Then lay the paper several sheets thick around your plants. You can peg it down, weigh it down, or just water it enough to stick together. If you’re worried about the look, add a little compost on top. Talking of which, garden compost is another excellent mulching material.
Self-watering beds
And finally, think about ‘self-watering beds’ or ‘wicking beds’. We’ve built many of these and recommend them. Essentially they are raised beds with a reservoir in the bottom. The water in the reservoir is connected to the soil with a fabric wick. Capillary action draws up the water from reservoir to soil. The reservoir can be refilled through a watering pipe. It’s simple but effective. And the kids get to learn about capillary action!