Overview
- Multiple gardening outlets, reporting Sunday, July 19, consolidated advice to adopt “intelligent” watering that conserves scarce water and reduces plant stress.
- Water in the cool morning with infrequent but thorough soakings that wet to roughly 20 cm depth rather than daily light sprays.
- Use about 15–20 liters per square metre for established beds every four to seven days and give young plants half to a quarter of that amount, checking success by digging down after watering.
- Cover beds and pots with a thin mulch of grass clippings or other green waste (let wet clippings dry first), add compost or green manures to boost humus, and hoe occasionally to slow evaporation and improve water uptake.
- Prefer collected rainwater in covered barrels or cisterns and avoid routine lawn sprinkling; timed drip systems can save water but may need fiddly installation and regular maintenance.