Schools & the RHS

Conserving water in your school garden

Below are some hints and tips on getting the best from your school garden.

Water in the cool of the evening or early morning. Evaporation rates are much reduced.

Purchase and install a water butt, available at most garden centres. This is also a good way to teach the children about sustainability.

Recycle ‘grey’ water; bathing and washing water containing mild soaps and detergents is safe.

Water at the base of plants; wetting foliage loses water to evaporation.

Add a mulch to reduce evaporation as well as suppressing weeds; e.g. wood chippings, spent mushroom compost (not suitable for lime-hating plants), manure, leafmould and cocoa shells.

Remove weeds as soon as they show, as they suck valuable moisture out of the soil.

To avoid losses of water to the air don’t dig soil in the summer.

Established plants do not generally need watering in Britain but their growth is usually improved by watering when they are under drought stress. Newly sown or planted areas are vulnerable and their watering needs should be a high priority.

Use more drought-tolerant plants. Vegetation originating from regions of low rainfall often has special adaptations such as spiny, narrow, glossy, hairy, sticky or fleshy leaves that help reduce water loss through transpiration.

Pelargoniums and petunias do better in dry conditions than begonias and fuchsias.

Try to buy plants not yet in flower - once flowering begins root growth is sacrificed to flower production and without watering plants will wither.

Go easy on hanging baskets and small pots in summer; large containers are easier to keep watered and, plant for plant, use less.

Look at the web link below for further details and more watering tips.

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/watering.asp