Recent restrictions on water usage in Guelph have a lot of gardeners wondering how they can properly water their plants without wasting resources. Watering is permitted from 7:00 am to 9:00 am and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Those with an odd-numbered house address can water on odd-numbered days, and even-numbered addresses get the even-numbered days. To ensure your plants are staying hydrated, follow these water-wise gardening tips so you can keep your landscape looking lush and green.
An important thing to remember about gardening in Guelph is that your property is either sitting on gravel or heavy clay soil. Heavy clay soil doesn’t have great drainage and holds on to lots of moisture. Gravel is like sand—the water drains straight through. Amending your garden soil with lots of compost is essential for maintaining good drainage and moisture retention. That way, you won’t need to use more water than the plants need, and whatever you use will be easily accessible to your plants.
The type of soil you have will have a significant effect on how often you need to landscape plants like trees and shrubs. It’s wise to figure out what kind you’re dealing with before you begin your watering regime! We recommend watering the soil around one of your mature trees or shrubs, waiting two to three days, and then digging a small hole. If the hole is dry, you should give your plants a drink more often. If the hole has moist soil, fill it back up and take note of how much longer it takes to evaporate; this will give you a good idea of how often you’ll need to water new plantings or plants that need consistently moist soil.
Planting drought-tolerant plants is one of the most effective water-wise gardening methods. However, it’s extremely important to note that your drought-tolerant landscape plants will only become drought-tolerant once they are fully established. You’ll need to water them thoroughly and regularly for the entirety of the first season before you can allow the soil to dry out around them.
There are plenty of beautiful drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, and perennials we can grow here in Zone 5a. Planting native plants of Ontario is always a wise decision—after all, they’ve adapted to live here in the wild!
When the summer sun is super hot, watering your plants overhead is risky! The droplets will heat up and may burn your plants’ foliage. One of the best water-wise gardening hacks is to use a weeper hose. The hose naturally forces moisture through its walls, slowly soaking into the soil below. Just snake it through your plants in the garden, set a timer on your phone for 30 minutes, and you’re good to go! The great thing about weeper hoses is that they prevent evaporation, which tends to occur with sprinklers that send water into the warm air.
We recommend picking up two things if you want to be more water-wise about your gardening: a great hose and lots of mulch!
We have two different sizes of weeper hoses—a 25-foot hose and a 50-foot hose—very affordable and built to last! We also have a terrific shower wand with a shut-off valve for watering plants overhead.
Mulch is always a wise choice when you’re gardening. It blocks the sun from evaporating the soil moisture too quickly. Plus, it prevents weeds and delivers nutrients into the soil as it breaks down! If you live in one of Guelph’s termite zones, I recommend natural Pine mulch or Pine Nuggets, which neighbours will find attractive and termites won’t. If termites are not a concern for you, we have three gorgeous colours of our hardwood mulches available: Red Devil, Black Beauty, and Mocha Brown. They’re water-wise, treated with all-natural dyes, and they’re beautiful!
Being wise about natural resource usage is good for the environment and your utility bill. If you have questions about water-wise gardening in Guelph under our new restrictions, visit Royal City Nursery and chat with our experts! We have plenty of tips and tools to help you garden responsibly.
