Conserving Water - Any Tips?

acai berry

Now that the hose pipe ban is in operation throughout the country, are you finding ways to conserve your water usage? Please share.

acai berry

1. re outdoor pot plants - I'm finding when I water them by watering can, of course, the water runs down the pot and into the ground in seconds. Am putting dishes, saucers, under the most vulnerable pots, which help conserve the water. Will remove them,once the rainy season arrives!

2. in the sink - I have a basin in the sink and do not empty the water after washing dishes etc. I find I can get three or four uses out of the same water to wash other things such as cat dish, bird feeders etc.

my3cents

If you have a bath in an upstairs bathroom you could always siphon the water out into a water butt to top it up or even siphon it directly out onto your plants. Obviously let the neighbors know what you are doing so you don't get reported for have a hose attached to a tap in the bathroom.

And of course that oldie "Bath/Shower with a friend".

Edit> Washing machines and dishwashers pump out used water so you can connect the waste water pipe to a hose (3/4 inch fits perfectly) and pump that water into water butts.

acai berry

my3cents wrote: »

If you have a bath in an upstairs bathroom you could always siphon the water out into a water butt to top it up or even siphon it directly out onto your plants. Obviously let the neighbors know what you are doing so you don't get reported for have a hose attached to a tap in the bathroom.

And of course that oldie "Bath/Shower with a friend".

Edit> Washing machines and dishwashers pump out used water so you can connect the waste water pipe to a hose (3/4 inch fits perfectly) and pump that water into water butts.

Sounds good, my3cents - for those who have the technical ability to set these arrangements up.

macraignil

For saving water in the ground it becomes more important to clear off weeds and unwanted vegetation near your garden plants as these will also tap into the moisture in the ground to grow.

Loosen the soil with a hoe or mattock so there are no deep cracks allowing water evaporate from deeper in the soil. In a similar way a mulch on the surface of the soil will help conserve water in it.

Water in the evening or early morning so it has a chance to be absorbed before evaporating.

Only water plants that need it like ones recently planted out, ones in containers or ones known to be requiring good moisture levels (e.g. hydrangea). Some dry climate adapted varieties don't require additional water even in current weather conditions. Sedum, lavender and thyme for example can deal with drought as they are native to areas that regularly have dry weather.

Good amounts of organic material in the soil also allows it hold more moisture.

acai berry

macraignil wrote: »

For saving water in the ground it becomes more important to clear off weeds and unwanted vegetation near your garden plants as these will also tap into the moisture in the ground to grow.

Loosen the soil with a hoe or mattock so there are no deep cracks allowing water evaporate from deeper in the soil. In a similar way a mulch on the surface of the soil will help conserve water in it.

Water in the evening or early morning so it has a chance to be absorbed before evaporating.

Only water plants that need it like ones recently planted out, ones in containers or ones known to be requiring good moisture levels (e.g. hydrangea). Some dry climate adapted varieties don't require additional water even in current weather conditions. Sedum, lavender and thyme for example can deal with drought as they are native to areas that regularly have dry weather.

Good amounts of organic material in the soil also allows it hold more moisture.

Good information, macraignil. Thank you.

acai berry

Re salad plants, such as lettuce, radish etc. I prefer to water in the morning, as watering in the evening invites and fascilitates the snails/slugs to come out and eat them.

yellowlabrador

mulching is important as bare soil will dry out quicker, also, the granules found in baby's nappies are great if you dig them into the soil. they form a gel and retain a lot of moisture. any brand will do

Ultimate Seduction

my3cents wrote: »

If you have a bath in an upstairs bathroom you could always siphon the water out into a water butt to top it up or even siphon it directly out onto your plants. Obviously let the neighbors know what you are doing so you don't get reported for have a hose attached to a tap in the bathroom.

And of course that oldie "Bath/Shower with a friend".

Edit> Washing machines and dishwashers pump out used water so you can connect the waste water pipe to a hose (3/4 inch fits perfectly) and pump that water into water butts.

Hardly going to put that water with all the detergents in to your plants?

acai berry

I suppose it depends on the type of detergents. Some are less toxic than others, I imagine.

strandroad

I take a watering can into the shower so that I can collect cold water. It's quite a large vessel and it's nearly full when the hot water appears! I intend to keep doing it after the drought too.

Ultimate Seduction

acai berry wrote: »

I suppose it depends on the type of detergents. Some are less toxic than others, I imagine.

My plants are mostly fruit and vegetables so that's a huge no from me.

acai berry

I think we're all starting to realise just how wasteful we have been up to now.

magicbastarder

if memory serves, washing up liquids can have a lot of salt in them. something to bear in mind perhaps.

Shaunoc

strandroad wrote: »

I take a watering can into the shower so that I can collect cold water. It's quite a large vessel and it's nearly full when the hot water appears! I intend to keep doing it after the drought too.

christ on a bike, are we in this bad a state, i hope your joking

Edit: maybe there is some funny analogy meant here, but i doubt it

looksee

Shaunoc wrote: »

christ on a bike, are we in this bad a state, i hope your joking

Edit: maybe there is some funny analogy meant here, but i doubt it

I thought that was a very good idea, though it did occur to me that it would clutter up the shower stall a bit!

strandroad

looksee wrote: »

I thought that was a very good idea, though it did occur to me that it would clutter up the shower stall a bit!

Not so much really and then you just set it aside, it's all happening before you start showering anyway. I was serious BTW. I didn't realise how much cold water goes down the drain before my hot water starts running! It's just a simple habit but it's many thousands of litres of treated water per year...

acai berry

strandroad wrote: »

Not so much really and then you just set it aside, it's all happening before you start showering anyway. I was serious BTW. I didn't realise how much cold water goes down the drain before my hot water starts running! It's just a simple habit but it's many thousands of litres of treated water per year...

Something i wouldn't have thought of. Good for you, strandroad, and best of luck keeping up your resolution for the future!

acai berry

Anything learned, Guys?

At first I thought I had to water outdoor pot-plants every day. Now I wait until I see the first sign of wilting or droopiness. Seems I can get way with watering just every two or even three days.

I water salad crops in raised beds every day - in the morning, so that snails/slugs don't get a chance to come out. Lettuces doing exceptionally well, whereas before this regime, the slugs were really getting to them.

Am not watering or cutting my lawn, which has now bolted into seed. A very nice man, who is Manager in Powerscourt Gardens, suggested we should allow grass to die down, as it goes into hibernation during drought and will spring back into growth again, once the rain comes.

Herbs such as tarragon, fennel, parsley and wild rocket have all bolted into seed. I suppose all is not lost, as the seeds can be used.

Graces7

Shaunoc wrote: »

christ on a bike, are we in this bad a state, i hope your joking

Edit: maybe there is some funny analogy meant here, but i doubt it

Just common sense, and not just now. Water is too precious to waste down the plughole..

Graces7

magicbastarder wrote: »

if memory serves, washing up liquids can have a lot of salt in them. something to bear in mind perhaps.

Very good then for weedy paths.. ;)Or for washing down paths etc

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

magicbastarder wrote: »

if memory serves, washing up liquids can have a lot of salt in them. something to bear in mind perhaps.

They are perfect for plants. The RHS advises

Plants can be watered with shower, bath, kitchen and washing machine water (from rinse cycles), collectively referred to as ‘grey’ water. It varies in quality and may contain contaminants such as soap and detergent. Fortunately, soil and potting composts are effective at filtering them out, and the residues can sometimes act as a mild fertiliser.

Just don't store it for more than 24 hours.

acai berry

Good informatiion, Srameen. Thank you..

acai berry

Using my washing machine - I collect up some laundry e.g. cotton whites. I steep them with some detergent overnight in a bucket of water. Next morning I empty the bucket of laundry with soaking liquid, which contains detergent into the machine. I do not add any detergent to the machine. This means I can choose a really short cycle such as 18 mins to 30 mins rather than 2 and a half hours.

Saves not only water but electricity as well!

I’m a pot of tea rather than a teabag in a mug, person. Every time I make a pot, I pour any old tea on my house plants.

acai berry

Deleted User wrote: »

I’m a pot of tea rather than a teabag in a mug, person. Every time I make a pot, I pour any old tea on my house plants.

Love that, Maryanne84!


I have an old enamel pot with a lid on it on my sink for collecting up veggie waste suitable for the compost heap. I generally tear open the used teabags and empty them into the pot with the veggie peelings etc. Somebody had told me the used tea is very beneficial, but the actual bags don't break down in the compost. If I have any tea drink left over, I empty it in there too. But i suppose I'm getting a bit off point here. :rolleyes:

Back to water conservation!

yellowlabrador

dip plants in pots in a bucket of water and leave for a few minutes. it helps with very dry soil as when you use a watering can the water runs straight through and it doesn't soak the soil enough. I add a bit of plantfood to the bucket

acai berry

yellowlabrador wrote: »

dip plants in pots in a bucket of water and leave for a few minutes. it helps with very dry soil as when you use a watering can the water runs straight through and it doesn't soak the soil enough. I add a bit of plantfood to the bucket

Excellent! Thank you, yellowlabrador!

This could apply especially to hanging baskets.

Graces7

acai berry wrote: »

Using my washing machine - I collect up some laundry e.g. cotton whites. I steep them with some detergent overnight in a bucket of water. Next morning I empty the bucket of laundry with soaking liquid, which contains detergent into the machine. I do not add any detergent to the machine. This means I can choose a really short cycle such as 18 mins to 30 mins rather than 2 and a half hours.

Saves not only water but electricity as well!

Grand! I still do not have a working washing machine ( long story of broken promises to plumb mine in.:eek:.) so soak overnight in a huge bucket then use that water then rinse. Always use the water..

Hocus Focus

acai berry wrote: »

1. re outdoor pot plants - I'm finding when I water them by watering can, of course, the water runs down the pot and into the ground in seconds. Am putting dishes, saucers, under the most vulnerable pots, which help conserve the water. Will remove them,once the rainy season arrives!

2. in the sink - I have a basin in the sink and do not empty the water after washing dishes etc. I find I can get three or four uses out of the same water to wash other things such as cat dish, bird feeders etc.

If you can get a plastic bag around the base of the pot,(or the whole pot), that will hold the water until it is soaked up by the compost in the pot.

Hocus Focus

acai berry wrote: »

I think we're all starting to realise just how wasteful we have been up to now.

We should be using water in a manner that we would be doing if we had to pay for it.

Glass fused light

If possible move water hungry potted plants or very peaty pots into a shady area eg along a north facing wall to limit the direct sun heating the pots during the most of the day.

acai berry

Glass fused light wrote: »

If possible move water hungry potted plants or very peaty pots into a shady area eg along a north facing wall to limit the direct sun heating the pots during the most of the day.

Good suggestion, Glass fused light! TU.

acai berry

Hocus Focus wrote: »

We should be using water in a manner that we would be doing if we had to pay for it.

Exactly, Hocus Focus! Good practice for when we eventually do have to pay for it!

acai berry

Went out this morning, fully intending to mow my lawn, which has run to seed. It's still quite green, as I had watered it before the hose ban. On 2nd thoughts I decided No! We are not due rain for some time, so instead of buyibg seed to reseed later I've decided to allow the lawn to reseed itself. The birds also, will feed off the grass seed, no doubt.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

acai berry wrote: »

Went out this morning, fully intending to mow my lawn, which has run to seed. It's still quite green, as I had watered it before the hose ban. On 2nd thoughts I decided No! We are not due rain for some time, so instead of buyibg seed to reseed later I've decided to allow the lawn to reseed itself. The birds also, will feed off the grass seed, no doubt.

You would be better to give it a very high cut to remove those tough flower/seed stems. With the mix in a typical lawn, you could end up with only the coarser grasses self seeing.

acai berry

Brinley Enough Legume wrote: »

You would be better to give it a very high cut to remove those tough flower/seed stems. With the mix in a typical lawn, you could end up with only the coarser grasses self seeing.

You could be right there, Brinley Enough Legume, as it is the tough stems that are going to seed. You've just given me permission to mow my lawn. :P

my3cents

acai berry wrote: »

You could be right there, Srameen, as it is the tough stems that are going to seed. You've just given me permission to mow my lawn. :P

Use anything you box off as a mulch to conserve moisture and worry about any grass seeds in it when we have some rain.

Ultimate Seduction

Started emptying the paddling pool on the flowers every evening rather than putting it down the drain. Flowers are now blooming with water that would have otherwise been wasted.

acai berry

Outdoor taps! This morning I went out front to water my pots and found the outdoor tap had been dripping all night. Luckily I had a large trug underneath which was full to the top with about 20 gals of water. I find with the outdoor taps that if I tighten them too tight, they actually leak. Surprising, considering they are new taps. Worth checking!

standardg60

Ultimate Seduction wrote: »

Started emptying the paddling pool on the flowers every evening rather than putting it down the drain. Flowers are now blooming with water that would have otherwise been wasted.

Lol so it's not being wasted filling the paddling pool everyday?

acai berry

standardg60 wrote: »

Lol so it's not being wasted filling the paddling pool everyday?

Far as I know, you're allowed fill your paddling pool as long as you don't use a hose-pipe to do it.

magicbastarder

true, but that does not mean the water is not being 'wasted'

acai berry

magicbastarder wrote: »

true, but that does not mean the water is not being 'wasted'

Let's not argue, magicbastarder. Surely it's not a waste of water to allow the Granchildren to have their splash around in this weather. It's a matter of priories, I think, especially as the water is being recycled to water the borders..

Wheety

For the last couple of weeks we have kept a basin in the sink. This collects water when washing veg or hands and letting the tap run to get hot or cold water. I remove the basin to wash the dishes but put it back in for rinsing (don't have a dishwasher). The amount of water normally wasted this way :eek:

Now have a bigger bucket outside which I empty this basin into 2 or 3 times a day. This water keeps the plants happy.

Also have a large water butt and thinking of getting a second one as they fill up so quickly.

Wheety

Ultimate Seduction wrote: »

Started emptying the paddling pool on the flowers every evening rather than putting it down the drain. Flowers are now blooming with water that would have otherwise been wasted.

I would hope you'd continue to do this. Awful waste of water if it's just being poured down the drain.

acai berry

Water conservation is starting to become a part of our consciiosness. That has to be a good thing.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

acai berry wrote: »

Water conservation is starting to become a part of our consciiosness. That has to be a good thing.

Unfortunately, apart from a few people here, I'm not seeing any change in attitude among the general public and many asking when the hosepipe ban will be lifted while not doing anything currently to actually conserve except obey the ban.

magicbastarder

not that anyone is keeping any records, but it'd be interesting to see how sales of water butts have changed over the last five years.
we've two - one is basically dedicated to keeping the pond topped up. both are long since empty, and the pond has dropped quite a lot.

acai berry

Brinley Enough Legume wrote: »

Unfortunately, apart from a few people here, I'm not seeing any change in attitude among the general public and many asking when the hosepipe ban will be lifted while not doing anything currently to actually conserve except obey the ban.

Most changes for the better in consciouness, start from small beginnings. So let's keep going!

acai berry

magicbastarder wrote: »

not that anyone is keeping any records, but it'd be interesting to see how sales of water butts have changed over the last five years.
we've two - one is basically dedicated to keeping the pond topped up. both are long since empty, and the pond has dropped quite a lot.

I'd say the threat of water charges had a big effect on sales of water butts. I had one in my last house. Unfortunately, I had to leave it behind, due to the amount of stuff I had to move. Now I am faced with getting another one for where I'm living now.