Will you join us in making a change? Combating drought
You can easily tell whether it is a period of drought by looking at your surroundings. The water in ditches, ponds, and streams is lower than normal. The lawns look dry. The plants and trees are limp, and shrubs and trees are already turning autumn colors in the summer.
It's easy to say that watering your garden is the answer. But if you want to use water in an environmentally friendly way, it's better to prepare your garden in advance so that it can survive future droughts.
What can you do yourself?
- Water selectively: Water evaporates more quickly in the middle of the day due to the sun. Therefore, water in the morning or evening and do so selectively. Only water those plants that really need it and preferably at the base of the plant.
- Natural water buffer: Create a natural water buffer in your garden so that you have your own source for watering or sprinkling your garden. You can do this by collecting water in, for example, a rain barrel, a pond, or a groundwater well.
- Mulching in borders: Mulch prevents the soil from drying out quickly and keeps it slightly cooler. Mulching is best done in the spring. You can use all kinds of organic material for this: compost, cocoa shells, bark chips, or gravel.
- Out with tiles, in with plants: Replacing tiles with greenery allows rainwater to sink directly into the soil. This means it does not need to be drained away through the sewer system. It is also good for biodiversity.
- Do not water too often: Do not water too quickly after a few days of dry weather. This encourages plants to seek water in the soil themselves. They will then develop a strong root system.