There are so many nuts and bolts to a working garden but at its heart, only a few gears are truly important, primarily water. We are currently in the middle of a drought year making water use of extra concern along with the fact that come August I’m always worried about taxing our well that feeds the property.

Water use has become an increasing concern for most of us and it should be! While we don’t want to think of it as such, it is a natural resource we can’t take for granted as our life literally depends on it!

I still consider myself a newer farmer by the standards set at the local farmer meetings, but even in my short tenure, I’ve seen a drastic change in the weather patterns, and more and more frequently I hear of concerns over drought pressure.

While we don’t have the money to create a labyrinth of efficient watering systems I have been thoughtful on how we manage water on the farm and have some pretty easy low-hanging fruit that you might be able to apply too!

First and foremost plant trees! This is my biggest focus and priority at the farm right now. Okay, maybe not in the heat of August, but this coming fall make sure to stick some in the ground! While it may sound counterintuitive to plant water-sucking trees when we are trying to decrease our consumption, trees offer amazing shade and can lower the surface temperature considerably. This lessens the amount of transpiration that naturally occurs and helps to retain more soil moisture than they take! Plus you will be so grateful for the shade in a few years!

Mulch! Yup, cover your soil!!! It’s not just pretty it helps to hold moisture. Bonus points if you use leaves as they break down and are the best organic matter for your soil along with pine needles. This year we are trying something new by using wool from my parent's farm in our perennial field. While it cannot be tilled for a few years it does leach lots of important minerals and acts as a natural slow-release water system for plants. I will let you know how this goes for us, fingers crossed it works!

Sunrise and sundown are the best times to water in high summer. If you have to spend the time watering don’t you want maximum value? Watering before 10 and after 4 are great times to water is a general rule of thumb, although making sure to get it done at any time of the day can feel like a win some weeks!

I find it ideal first thing in the morning when everything is still cool from the night and maybe even a little dewy. The plants are the most receptive to taking up water at this point and with the coming morning sun, they will dry before the threat of fungal issues is of concern.

Having multiple ways to water is a really good idea. From watering cans to spray nozzles there are so many ways to get water to your plants. We use tripod sprinklers in our fields and due to the hard water and limestone, we have to clean them from buildup regularly. We also use drip tape with small emitters on our houses and sometimes mist systems to help us get the right amount of water on the plants depending on the growing stage we are dealing with. None of these systems work perfectly which aggravates us to no end, however, we are already far more in tune with our water usage and efficiency than ever before.

However, my absolute favorite watering McGyver hack (go binge-watch that show if you don’t get my reference!) is using a small plastic kiddie pool to water my very pot-bound porch ferns. Farmers and gardeners alike know the pains of trying to keep those very crispy and usually forgotten about hanging baskets watered come this time of year. Do yourself a favor and get a small kiddie pool to soak them in. Letting them soak from the bottom gets them nice and soaked without making a mess!

If you are interested in learning more about how we grow, you can check out our mum growing course for more helpful information like this! And while you're scrolling, drink some water, you need to hydrate too!