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Thursday, July 2, 2015

Conserving Water On The Homestead


Every morning I turn on the sprinkler for about 30 minutes and then again for another 30 in the late afternoon or early evening. The only problem with this is a lot of water either never makes it to the garden and ends up all over the yard, chicken pen, or evaporating and is wasted.

I decided there had to be an easier way. I started researching and found some interesting options. So far we have not had a chance to implement many of them due to budget costs and needing to build other things first. I am hoping to do more with water conservation next summer.

Here are the ideas I am going to try out...

Mulch


I told my husband that I needed to put some mulch in the garden, but did not really want to spend any money on buying it. Our solution was to use the grass from the lawn after it had been mowed.

This solution ended having 2 perks...it helps to keep the weeds down as well as helping to hold in moisture and keep the water from evaporating.

I was a little concerned about using grass, but after talking it over with the owner of our local garden center I feel better about it. He said that it will work as long as we remember to fluff it up every now and then otherwise it will create a mat of grass on the ground.

Intensive Planting

Basically intensive planting is planting your plants in the garden close together so there is less area to water.

Soaker hose and drip irrigation




I went to my local feed store this spring to look at their soaker hoses. I was just about to purchase one when for some reason I decided to turn the package over and read it. I was completely shocked to see a warning printed on it. It said it was not safe to use when watering crops that would be eaten. The hose contained lead and it recommended washing your hands after handling.

I could not believe this was in the section with all the seeds and other garden items. If I had not looked at it I probably would have bought it and been unknowingly poisoning my families food.

I did a little research and there are safe alternatives and soaker hoses made specifically for food crops. Make sure before you purchase one that you check to make sure it is safe.

Here is a nice one I found on amazon.

Element ELSP38075 3/8-Inch by 75-Feet Soakerpro Hose, Black



Next year I think we will invest in a good drip irrigation system such as the Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Gardener's Drip Kit that I found on Amazon. I think we will add a timer to my hose so that I don't have to try and remember to turn off the sprinkler and defeat the purpose of trying to save water. 



One of my favorite ideas that I found are clay pots called an ollas that you can bury in the ground and fill with water. This would be an excellent way to water your garden if you have to be gone for a few days. Plus they make some really cute ones.



If you are interested in a smaller version you could try the Plant Nanny. These would work well in the garden near a plant or in a pot. For the Plant Nanny you have to add a wine bottle filled with water. 

The perk to these is you get to enjoy a bottle of wine before you use it. 



The last idea I was able to find is to conserve water by watering your garden with rain water. Rain water is free and nothing can beat free when it comes to gardening on the cheap. 

The rain barrel kit above can be a bit pricy. There are cheaper alternatives if you are willing to make your own. I have found that sometimes it is so much easier to just buy a pre-made kit and save myself the headache of trying to figure out a DIY.  

What things do you do to conserve water on your homestead?


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy a product I recommend I earn a small commission from the company that sells the item. This does not cost you anything, but helps me to maintain this site. 

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