Water has always been an extremely precious commodity here in Pakistan, more so in recent years than previously and the current situation verges on one of dire emergency; therefore it is timely to take another look at how to minimise water usage in the garden and in pots and other containers.

First and foremost, it is pertinent to point out that more plants die of over watering than from lack of water as, unfortunately, many people, especially malis, are under the erroneous impression that liberally dousing every single thing in the garden on a daily basis, including footpaths and driveways, is the way to ensure that everything looks fine and dandy and is thoroughly ‘thirst quenched’ if not seriously drowned.

The truth of the matter is quite different: Few plants actually need watering each day and those monstrous ‘lush green lawns’ so many people favour, most certainly do not!

I can see, and hear, so many of you throwing your hands up in the air, screaming objections and shouting out exceptions and I agree, there are a some — these are mostly imported ornamentals which, in a country where water shortages are endemic, should not, in my opinion, be cultivated in the first place and right now it would be sensible to wave them bye-bye.

When it comes to edible plants though, be these fruit, vegetables, herbs or edible flowers, some do need a daily drink, lettuce being a prime example but please do remember to water them, using recycled water when possible, in the evening only. I have said this before but am going to stress it again right now: Watering in the morning is a complete waste of time, energy and, more importantly, of water as the minute the sun begins radiating any heat whatsoever, the water begins to evaporate and is gone way before the plants have had enough time to drink their fill. Watering in the evening gives the plants all night long to refresh themselves and this, gardeners, is, irrespective of your own evening engagements, the most sensible time to perform this chore.

The majority of gardens will get by on watering every other evening during the summer months and once, at the most twice a week, during the cooler days of winter. They may look a little bit limp on the second day but they will revive within, quite literally, minutes of being watered when the time is right. Just because the soil surface is dry, it does not automatically follow that the garden needs watering as subsoil retains moisture much longer than the soil surface and plant roots are beneath, not above, the soil.

Now: Some more water saving tips for sensible gardeners to employ.

* Forget sprinklers as these waste far more water than many other systems. Sprinklers irrigate only one area at a time and douse everything which happens to be within radius irrespective of whether it is thirsty or not.

* If you use a hosepipe then get hold of one of those tap attachments that fits on the end — one with an on/off trigger thingy is best so that it is only spraying water when ‘on’ as this cuts out a tremendous amount of wastage. Malis have a habit of putting hosepipes on full force and aiming them every which way at everything until their duty time is conveniently up and they can disappear leaving a soggy mess all over the place. Don’t let them!

* Plant thirsty plants, only edible ones please, in designated areas and not mixed in with less thirsty or drought tolerant species. This way you can ensure that only plants which genuinely need watering are given the necessary ‘treat’.

* Water only the soil surface around the plants not the plants themselves.

* Grow edible plants in partial shade during the summer heat and in full sun in winter.

* If you haven’t yet mulched around your plants to conserve water then get out there and do it right now please!

* Replace sprinkler/hosepipe/watering can with the following methods: A) Use the Mutkha irrigation system as detailed in some previous articles. (You can access these using an internet search engine). B) Gather up a good selection of plastic bottles, soft drink/water bottles are ideal, in a variety of sizes. Pierce a small hole in the lid, (use a strong needle or something similar to make the hole), turn the bottle upside down and cut off the base using a sharp knife/scissors but be careful not to cut yourself.

Stick the larger bottles in amongst your plants, as close to plant roots as possible without causing any damage, pushing the lid an inch or two beneath the soil surface. Fill the upturned bottles with water, recycled water if possible, and leave it be. The water will slowly drip through the hole to water the plants over a period of time. As with the mutkha system, the first fill up or two of water may seep away fast if the soil is dry when the bottle/mutkha is inserted but, after this the rate of drip should slow down. If it doesn’t that means the hole is too big, so get another bottle and try again. Small bottles can be used exactly the same way to irrigate pots and containers.

Finally, as for lawns, dig them up and plant the area with edibles as water must not be wasted on criminal irrelevancies!

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. Answers to selected questions will appear in a future issue of the magazine. This takes time. The writer will not respond directly by e-mail. E-mails with attachments will not be opened. Please note: The writer’s garden is not open to the public.