| Archive for The Potting Shed A forum to discuss Crafts, Cooking, Gardening, Countryside, Livestock and Pets |
| Leonie2 |
Water saving tipsJesseSite Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 12 Mar 2006 07:20 pm Post subject: Water saving tips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This year unless we have a lot of rain I'm certain we'll have another hosepipe ban. Please post any tips you have in here for conserving water. We have a waterbutt but plan to get at least another one. I will be watering less at the allotment this year, the plan is for the plants to grow their roots downwards in search of water, my neighbour didn't water very much at all last year and his crops were very good. I want to syphon water from our bath into a waterbutt for use in the garden. Back to top Leanne Perennial Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 342 Location: herts Posted: 12 Mar 2006 07:38 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i saw a photo once of someones allotment. the gardener had inserted tubes into the ground at intervals which went a fair way underground, to reach the various plants roots. to minimise water wastage by watering the complete surface, he poured water down the tubes, directly to the roots. would this work/help? _________________ Leanne Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 12 Mar 2006 07:47 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sure that would work well for individual plants like fruit trees and bushes, will ask OH for some plumbing pipe and try that, thanks Back to top Svea Seedling Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 86 Location: London Posted: 12 Mar 2006 08:26 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- wash lettuce and produce in a bowl in the sink, then use the dirty water for watering plants indoors and outdoors. keep a bottle of tap water in the fridge, so you dont run water from the tap til it's cold every time you get a glass of water. dont run the water when brushing teeth. there are water saving bags you can get from your water provider for free, put them in the toilet cistern and it will reduce the amount of water used for a flush (or, if fitting a new bathroom like me, install a cistern with a dual flush button (4l or 6l) so you can flush according to business i was point watering plants last year, all did very well perhaps with the exception of the celery. point watring means schlepping a watering can from the water butt to the plants and watering with the rose off, directly unto the stem or into an upturned bottle. i.e. where the plants need it. also only watered about once a week or so. the fact you have to carry every can-full of water means you become very economical with the watering indeed Back to top n Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 12 Mar 2006 10:55 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We use the "grey water" from the tumble dryer condenser (I know, I know, but look at the photos in Kathy's post) to water the chickens and to put out fresh water for the wils birds. The dog need water when they are in the house, so I use their leftovers to water the houseplants and tubs. We have power showers which isn't very green, but if it got bad I would turn the pumps off or take a bucket in with me!. Our dishwasher is about to be freecycled (tomorrow) and we are getting a new one. I have fought against this since Christmas, thinking that they aren't green, not when you factor in the manufacturing costs. But because we cook from "scratch" and rarely use convenience foods, we do create lots of dishes. After some investigation, the new dishwashers use 14 litres of water per cycle. I measured this into a sink and it's half a sink full. We use three quarters of a sink full (small sink, not full sized). Plus the water while you wait for the water to be hot (which I know could be recycled too), per wash-up. One for breakfast and 2 for dinner dishes. That's before you factor in the time as well. I think if we ate convenience food with throwaway packaging, then a dishwasher isn't justified at all, but for 4 people, one load a day, you really can't argue with 14 litres per wash.... can you? We don't have a water butt though, so maybe we need to look into that... cast iron downpipes though... any ideas? n Back to top agapanthus Perennial Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 318 Location: suffolk Posted: 14 Mar 2006 01:57 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We could do with having tips on mulches too. Last year I used the pooey bits they cut off sheeps bottoms....it's got a proper name but have forgotten what it is . It worked really well but not sure when I can get some more this year. Am going to try straw this year along with garden compost and any other freebie stuff I can get me hands on. I always use cut down plastic bottles buried in the soil next to tomatoes, chilli, cucumber and peppers in the greenhouse....only watered every 3 days even when it's been really hot, Back to top alison Moderator Joined: 17 Feb 2006 Posts: 303 Location: North Devon Posted: 14 Mar 2006 03:31 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- daggings? Back to top agapanthus Perennial Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 318 Location: suffolk Posted: 14 Mar 2006 12:56 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That could be another name for it...but not the word I'm familiar with. Back to top Aqui Moderator Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 316 Location: my desk, Londonish Posted: 14 Mar 2006 01:50 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We're Thames Water, so we'll be having a hosepipe ban from next month. I must get a second water butt. I collect the water that comes out of the tap before it runs to hot in old plastic milk bottles (can get 12pts from that!) and then use that in the garden - also useful for carrying. I've been saving this up all winter and have loads of bottles in the shed. I must look like some kind of freak! Also collect veg rinsing water, but that needs to be used immediately or it starts to smell. (You can use pop bottles, but only at the beginning of the flow, when it's not getting hot!) Use grey water on flowers (although I planting veg and herbs in the flower beds this year, so won't be able to anymore). Dig in a lot of manure/compost to increase water retention of soil and use a mulch. Spot water directly to the roots/using sunk plastic bottles. Water once or twice a week and water a lot, rather than little and often, to encourage plants to find their own water. I saw that guy on the GW allotment special who never waters. I'd love to try that but most areas of my garden are too new to cope (not enough organic matter). Place water-tight containers on any uncultivated areas to collect rain water (just make sure they don't blow away when empty!) Use bath water to fill up the toilet tank. (unfortunately our plug leaks, so we can't). Or just flush when you produce solids! (as long as there's some kind of cleaner stuff in the loo it doesn't smell like wee) I still cannot believe that people think we won't run out of water because we live on an island - yeah right - just go to the sea next time you want to make a cup of tea _________________ The quiet power of growing things is truly magical Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 30 Apr 2006 02:34 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today we set up a hose and small pump to empty our bath water into one of a few new waterbutts set up outside alongside our waterbutt that's plumbed into the roof guttering. Should have lots of water available for watering the garden this summer. Back to top n Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 05 Jun 2006 05:59 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are now showering Japanese style, plus an extra twist. We have a bucket in the bathroom and when we first run the water we put he showerhead in the bucket until the water runs hot. Our shower is quite a long way from the water tank, so this is about half a bucketful of water which would otherwise go down the plughole. Then you run the hot water until you are wet, then turn the water off, and soap/shampoo up. The either fill a second bucket with hot water and sluice it over yourself to rinse using a jug, or just run the shower briefly to rinse. We aren't in a drought area, but we have half a water butt of water in just a few days. n _________________ www.thedroppedspindle.blogspot.com Back to top somerset lad Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 249 Location: Taunton som Posted: 05 Jun 2006 10:27 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A listener to Classic F.M. won a tenner for saving water . Drink your whiskey neat, she said. _________________ grow it catch it eat it. Back to top Haize Perennial Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 389 Posted: 05 Jun 2006 11:06 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I put the plug in the bath whilst having a shower the other day, and despite this being a power shower, and me taking *ages* to wash my hair, it was still a little less than a bath full. And after taking a bath, I always have to rinse my hair out anyway, so I'm quite surprised that taking a shower does still work out more economical. Hohum, I'm not allowed to see the screen at the moment, a moth landed on it, and is now being eaten by the cat. Oi, move you! Anyway, back on topic, this could still do with some improving. However, have v. long hair, so don't really know how to take less water rinsing conditioner out of it. Fortunately, I don't feel the need to wash my hair every day, else we'd be having hosepipe bans up here in Yorkshire too! If you were to use a shampoo that biodegrades "quickly", i.e. ecover products (which say they are far better than the required time), would this mean water in a barrel would be useable on plants after a week, a month, or a year?! If it's only a week, then that would be ok - have 2 barrels next to each other, and just switch which one is filled. _________________ Status of our house: No heating, no bathroom, no kitchen. Washing machine, fridge, and boiler sitting around in boxes. No door on room with toilet! http://www.manicfish.com/myblog.php?bbn=haize Back to top Aqui Moderator Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 316 Location: my desk, Londonish Posted: 06 Jun 2006 02:06 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Haize - you can't really store grey water - it starts to pong pretty rapidly. I've been manically saving all water possible. I need to put a bucket in the bathroom too (also for collect water when we wash our hands). But I haven't got spare buckets - they always end up full of things! I've also been saving veg washing water - I have a big plastic mixing bowl that I use. Does anyone know... can you use the water used to cook veggies? I know spud water is supposed to be a weedkiller, so I won't use that. _________________ The quiet power of growing things is truly magical Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 06 Jun 2006 03:29 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- we store grey water without any problem. when the water butt runs low we syphon the bath water into barrels and use that on the garden. the barrel sits in a shady cool place and the contents is used within a week or two. so far no problems with doing it that way. Haize, I have longish hair too. I rinse most of the conditioner out by lying in the bath, then use the shower to give it a quick rinse afterwards. Also don't put too much conditioner into your hair to start with, you need less than you think. If you find using less conditioner isn't working then try switching your shampoo and conditioner to one that's more suited to your hair, i.e. if you have dry hair, using the products labelled for normal hair means you have to put more on and therefore spend more time rinsing it all off again. Also try switching brands if you find using less is not working on your hair type. I've been using the faith in nature shampoo and conditioner and I don't apply as much compared to when I used to use pantene which dried my hair out terribly and resulted in me slapping conditioner on by the bucketful (slight exaggeration there but you know what I mean) Back to top Haize Perennial Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 389 Posted: 06 Jun 2006 04:12 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm using an Aubrey Organics one at the moment, was quite expensive, but seems pretty good. I know I do put more conditioner on than is strictly necessary, but it's so awkward getting it spread over all of the hair! I guess I should get a comb to use in the shower, and use that to spread the conditioner. The biggest problem I have is rinsing it out of the hair right against my neck - it's shielded by the top layers, and I definately waste water trying to get that bit clean! Didn't have that problem when I used to tip my head and hair forwards to wash, but now I'd end up treading on it... Maybe using a bucket of water I can cut down a bit though. Agh, Pantene is evil stuff - I find it gives me lovely shiny strong hair after the first wash, and then, the plastic coating it has applied stops moisture getting back into my hair, so it just goes terribly dry My OH is just running out of his current Pantene supply, so I've bought him a more natural replacement. Only trouble is, he may object to it being separate shampoo and conditioner! _________________ Status of our house: No heating, no bathroom, no kitchen. Washing machine, fridge, and boiler sitting around in boxes. No door on room with toilet! http://www.manicfish.com/myblog.php?bbn=haize Back to top n Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 06 Jun 2006 09:20 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My goodness, how long is your hair, Haize? n _________________ www.thedroppedspindle.blogspot.com Back to top Haize Perennial Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 389 Posted: 06 Jun 2006 09:41 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's only a bit more than 3 feet long, it's just that tipping your hair forwards to wash makes you lean over! _________________ Status of our house: No heating, no bathroom, no kitchen. Washing machine, fridge, and boiler sitting around in boxes. No door on room with toilet! http://www.manicfish.com/myblog.php?bbn=haize Back to top n Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 06 Jun 2006 11:14 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hee hee, mine is about three inches! n _________________ www.thedroppedspindle.blogspot.com Back to top |