Coping with drought

Gardeners’ World editor Adam Pasco explains how your garden can flourish even during drought periods

Watering the garden used to be one of life’s simple pleasures, but few of us can now take water for granted. With the introduction of hosepipe bans, the priority for many people is finding ways to grow flowers and crops without turning on the tap.

Saving water

Whether changing rainfall is a temporary shift in weather patterns or a longer-term consequence of global warming, hosepipe bans can hit gardeners hard. Even if you’re not in a hosepipe ban area, you could soon be metered, if you’re not already.

Water metering makes us all more aware of exactly how much water we use, and how much it costs. So we must look at ways of being more self-sufficient in our water management, use techniques to help plants thrive without the need for regular watering. It’s even worth choosing different plants to grow that thrive in drier conditions.

Get the soil right

Soil varies considerably in its composition around the country, from heavy clay soils in some areas to free-draining sandy soils in others. Look at ways to improve your soil, and ways to help it retain more moisture, so that plants will survive for longer periods without the need to water.

Dig in compost or well-rotted manure deep into your soil, to improve its structure and ability to retain moisture.
Always mix compost generously into the base of any planting hole you make.
Make your own compost. Don’t waste anything that could be turned into compost, whether from the garden or kitchen, and dig this into your soil.

Every drop counts

Everyone should be collecting rainwater. Many water companies offer discounted water butts and installation kits, so ring them for details – if they don’t, then badger them to.

According to OFWAT, just over a quarter of all households now have a water meter – so every drop of water from the mains in these metered homes costs money. Collecting rainwater to use on the garden saves money and reduces demand on the mains supply.

According to the Environment Agency, all water companies will install metering free of charge. However, they may not offer to install metering for free if you share a mains water supply.
Fix one or more water butts to your rainwater downpipe. This can include your home, shed, greenhouse, conservatory, garage, or any other building. If you are short on space use a slimline model.
Where you have space, a series of butts can be plumbed together, helping you collect more water from a single downpipe.
Don’t spill any water when filling up your watering can. Make sure the can will fit safely underneath the tap on your water butt before installing it. Some butts have a built-in stand, while others mean you have to buy the stand separately. Alternatively, stand your butt on a solid base of bricks or breeze blocks.
Watering systems such as seep hoses are available to attach to the tap on your water butt. This system of pipes will be gravity fed from the butt, so it works best on a level site or where a butt is placed at the top of a slope.

Keep some in reserve

While a simple water butt can collect around 190 litres of water, much larger tanks are available for the collection of thousands of litres of rainwater. You can used this in the garden or filter it for ‘non-potable’ uses, such as flushing toilets.

If you plan to lay a new patio, consider installing an underground storage tank for harvesting rainwater.

Collect and use again

Much of the water we send down the drain could be collected and used to water the garden. Known as grey water, this domestic water from washing up or baths should be free from harmful chemicals.

Water containing small amounts of soap is quite safe to use on the garden. Concentrated solutions of detergents should be avoided. Choosing an eco-friendly brand of washing up liquid is also a good idea.

Keep a bowl in your kitchen sink to collect washing-up or rinsing water. Use this on the lawn or garden directly, or collect in a butt or tank. Putting some charcoal in this butt may help to purify the water.

Fit a diverter onto the drainpipe from your bath or shower to divert grey water into a tank to use for watering the garden. Save bathwater and use a length of hose to siphon it out through the bathroom window into a collection tank.

This feature originally appeared on the Gardeners' World website.

To find out what jobs you should be doing now in your garden, as well as gardening tips and advice, visit Gardeners World - what to do now.