Did you know the City of Calgary has Homeowner Water Guides for new, developing, landscaping in 6 different languages? These guides will provide different watering tips for your landscape. Here are some tips for watering your landscape:
- Plants prefer rain water over water from the hose. You can set up a rain barrel to collect rain water to use on your yard.
- Always water low and slow and never apply water faster than your soil can absorb.
- Water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to reduce evaporation.
- Overwatering can lead to plant death. Soils in Calgary are clay-based, and retain more moisture so it is best to check your soil moisture before watering.
- Sun, shade and wind affect how much water evaporates from the soil. Adding mulch to cover soil around plants, shrubs and trees helps retain soil moisture.
Watering and types of soil
- Checking soil moisture with a soil moisture probe both before and after watering can help you figure out how much to water.
- Add compost to improve soil texture and health!
- Increase the amount of top soil where ever possible. Having a minimum of eight inches of top soil will improve water absorption and drainage of your soil.
Watering and plant needs
- Some plants need regular watering, others less. How you water new plants affects the root development, which affects how much water they will consume in the future.
- Always read the plant tag to know what each plant needs (eg. full sun, part shade, shade, etc).
- Avoid planting in hot, dry weather as this easily stresses plants and can place highly demands on watering needs.
- Select plants appropriate for your growing zone – native and drought-tolerant plant species will require less water.
For more information, please visit https://www.calgary.ca/uep/water/water-conservation/lawn-and-garden/watering-101-new.html
Word of the day:
Mulch (noun)
- material (such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost) spread around or over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil.
- Example: She used mulch in her garden.
