It’s the basics of biology - all life forms, plants included, need water. Water in your garden is like a lifeline that trickles out into the entire ecosystem that surrounds you.
However, it’s one thing to abstractly know this concept, and something else completely to experience it.
Before I installed a robust rainwater catchment system, my entire garden relied on our well water during our nearly rain-free summers.
What I didn’t anticipate was that our well water would not be able to sustain both the house and the garden during these dry spells, when the water table wasn’t getting replenished.
This prompted me to get serious about water conservation in the garden - for both environmental and practical reasons.
Think about your own garden—how dependent is it on local water sources, and how could it benefit from a more sustainable approach?
For me, water-saving techniques inspired by permaculture systems and regenerative gardening have revolutionized my garden, and replenished my well’s reserves.
As climate change brings more frequent droughts and water scarcity, it’s important to be mindful of our water use. As a gardener, if you focus on water conservation, you can play a vital role in supporting local wildlife and preserving the native plants, while still maintaining your garden.
Now more than ever, gardeners need to create resilient, sustainable landscapes that can withstand the challenges of our changing climate.
The regenerative techniques we explore below are not only about saving water—they're about building a garden that thrives, even during dry spells.
In this article, I’ll share practical, eco-friendly strategies that will transform your garden into a model of conservation and resilience.
Eco-Friendly Watering Methods focus on reducing water waste while ensuring that plants receive the hydration they need. When you apply water-saving strategies into your gardening, you help conserve this precious resource and increase the resilience and productivity of your garden.
There are numerous ways to conserve water in the garden. What’s great is that they can be combined for maximum efficiency!
→ Costs: Drip line kits range from $20-$100+, depending on how much coverage you need. Pumps for small systems should be less than $150, and a good timer is around $40.
In my garden, drip irrigation is an essential component of our water-saving design.
Here’s what’s amazing - drip irrigation can use up to 80% less water when compared to regular overhead watering! This statistic alone is what prompted me to install drip irrigation lines in my garden. I have the system connected to my rain water barrels with a simple electric pump.
Since drip irrigation delivers water directly to the soil level and at a slow pace, I can see that the soil actually can absorb the water and runoff is greatly reduced.
As a bonus, reducing overhead watering on some plants can help you avoid fungal issues and leaf disease - that’s always a good thing!
Drip irrigation tips:
→ Costs: Diverter valves can cost around $100-$300, depending on their complexity. You can also buy gray water filtration systems for around $100.
Reusing household gray water, such as water from baths or sinks, can be a sustainable way to water your garden. When utilized correctly, these systems can significantly cut down on freshwater use, aligning with eco friendly watering practices.
Reusing household gray water, like water from baths or sinks, can be a sustainable way to water your garden. While there is some nuance to it, these systems can significantly cut down your freshwater use. You’re essentially using your water twice!
If you're looking for a low-cost way to work with your gray water, here's what I do in my home during the summer months:
Supplies:
Steps:
As a note, you should research your state/county regulations regarding gray water systems to see what is allowed in your area.
You’ll also need to use soaps, detergents, and shampoos that are safe for gray water. The San Diego Sustainable Living Institute recommends brands like Dr. Bronners, Ecos, and Oasis.
With more consumers favoring sustainable products, the availability of gray water safe detergents and soaps is growing - good for gray water, but also good for the planet in general!
Gray Water Tip:
University of California states that for gray water to be used on vegetables, the water should be delivered through drip irrigation, and should not be used on plants that are on the surface of the soil or below the soil.
→ Costs: Depending on how big your rain barrels are, and how many you need, the cost can vary from $50-$500+. Downspout and first flush diverters can add another $70.
Setting up rain barrels to collect rainwater off a roof is what provides an independent water supply for my garden. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to garden as extensively as I do. During the rainy season, the rain barrels fill up for me to use on the garden during the dry spells that come in the summer.
There's something incredibly rewarding about turning a rainy day into a resourceful one for your garden. Instead of saving up my pennies for a rainy day, I’m saving up my rainy day water for a future dry heatwave.
Tips for collecting rainwater to use in your garden:
→ Learn more about Rain Barrel Systems for Your Garden
→ Costs: In my area, a 40lb bale of organic straw is $15. Grass clippings just cost a bit of sweat.
Applying organic mulch helps to retain soil moisture, reduce evaporation, and suppress weeds. This method supports water conservation in gardening by keeping the soil moist for longer periods.
During the summer months, I turn to organic straw to prevent water evaporation in the garden. It’s wild to see how much this helps - I love to move the mulch aside on a hot summer day and feel how cool the soil is underneath. It’s essentially like the difference between being in the blaring sun or under the shade of a tree in the heat of summer.
Grass clippings, being in great supply during the growing season, also work well. Just be sure they are free of weed seeds - I learned this the hard way one year and was picking grass seedlings out of my garden all year.
I've also had great results with wool pellets - they not only help you to water less, but are also a source of nitrogen. As a bonus, they repel slugs!
You can also try the chop-and-drop method, which essentially means you can supply your own mulch if you practice this technique strategically.
Tips for Mulching for Save Water in the Garden:
→ Learn more about the regenerative benefits of mulching in your garden
Techniques for Resilient Gardening are designed to enhance your garden's ability to withstand dry spells and variable weather conditions. By adopting these diverse methods, you are not only conserving water but also creating a more robust and productive garden environment. Each technique offers a unique benefit, and when combined, they can transform your garden into a thriving, sustainable landscape. Consider what methods best fit your garden's individual needs, and explore these options to foster an eco-friendly and water-efficient garden.
One technique to focus on planting crops at wider spacings. This is a focus on dry farming, which reduces the need for irrigation. and focusing on soil health, dry farming reduces the need for irrigation.
I first learned about this from Steve Solomon’s book Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades.
I honestly was skeptical about this approach. I figured that the more I had planted, the more shaded the soil would be to prevent evaporation.
But with limited water supply, I figured I should give it a try. So a couple of summers ago I spaced some crops - namely broccoli - at three feet intervals. I was amazed by not only how well they performed, but by how little water they actually needed. I realized that my plants had been competing for resources, and this bigger spacing helped them to give me bigger harvests with less input.
This approach leverages the natural water available in the soil, making it a key part of conserving water in the garden.
→ Learn more about dry farming for drought resilience here
In my guide to regenerative agriculture, I explain how not tilling the soil helps with over all water retention. This is an essential component of dry farming.
The University of Nebraska has studied the long-term effects of no-till on dry land crops, and found that compared with various tillage systems, no-till produced the biggest yield year after year.
A similar study was conducted in the Mediterranean, which found better soil health in the no till system after it was practiced for one year.
A tool that really helps me to develop my garden as an alternative to tilling is a broadfork. It aerates the soil without turning it over, keeping carbon and soil life in tact. A well-made broadfork, like the ones from Meadow Creature, even break through my heavy clay soil without much issue.
→ Transition your garden to no-till with my step-by-step guide
Stubble mulching refers to the practice of cutting back plants, leaving the plant residue in place, and also leaving the root of the plant in the ground.
This is essentially a system of chop and drop. It’s called “stubble mulching” because In large fields, this residue can be akin to a 5 o’clock shadow on the land.
Stubble mulching is outlined in One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka. In the book, this technique helped Fukuoka’s regenerative farm to have similar yields to conventional farms in his area.
The increase in yield is because leaving the plant residue in place acts like a shade cloth, and prevents evaporation of water. The evaporation of both surface level water and deeper water stores can be prevented in this way.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found that crop yields increased when stubble or mulch was left on the field, by an average of 13%.
Steve Solomon, in his book Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades, shares an innovative technique where a 5 gallon bucket is turned into a self-watering fertigation system.
Here’s how it works:
Solomon notes that once plants are established, this method can be done with as little as 15 supplementary gallons of water spaced out over the growing season.
This is similar to the ancient water urns made of terracotta clay called ollas. One difference is that ollas can be buried, so they are a permanent feature in your garden bed. This also reduces evaporation of the water even more. Since ollas are made of non-toxic terracotta, you don’t need to use plastic into your garden if you don’t already have food grade plastic buckets on hand.
You can buy ollas here: Garden Oya™ Watering Pot
Conserving water in your garden is important for the environment because it reduces the amount of water used, which is a precious resource.
Did you know that freshwater makes up less than 3% of the earth’s water?
It’s that small number that we need to keep in mind when thinking about putting a strain on our freshwater supply with excessive watering. The University of Massachusetts cautions us to be sure to not take from our supply faster than it can be topped up with rainfall
Water scarcity and drought are becoming more common due to climate change, so it is important to be mindful of our water usage.
Reducing water usage can help to prevent contamination of water sources, as less runoff and pollution occur when less water is used.
As the Del River Watershed explains, the soil in low-water gardens can actually filter out sediments from runoff before they enter streams and lakes. This isn’t possible when the soil is overly saturated from excessive watering, however.
Water conservation in gardens can help to support local ecosystems by reducing the strain on water sources that wildlife and native plants rely on.
Being aware of water usage and working to reduce how much water is needed is an essential part of maintaining an eco friendly homestead.
With more variable weather patterns, more gardeners are getting on board with practices that require less water. In this way, their beloved gardens can withstand droughts and still thrive.
Different technology, such as smart sensors for soil moisture and app-based garden planning, are being developed to help both farms and gardens be even more efficient with water usage.
The question now is, which of these water-saving methods will find a home in your garden? Water is a precious asset crucial to the health of your plants, and even adopting just one of these innovative strategies can lead to a healthier, more resilient garden.
One of the most crucial things you can do for water retention in your soil is to build soil health with regenerative gardening principles. Learn how in our Soil Health Guide.
