As drought continues to cause heartache for all of us gardeners, we must rethink our gardening practices and use more extreme measures to save our plants. Homeowners waste an average of 33% of good drinking water, according to the UGA Cooperative Extension Service School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Most of this waste is done through diluting toilet water, little-used sink and shower water, and laundry and kitchen use. In this time of water shortage, recycling slightly used ‘gray water’ to water our landscape plants makes good sense. Gray water is water that can be used twice. Safe sources for this gray water include bath water, laundry water, and sink water from bathroom and kitchen sinks. (Water from toilets and swimming pools cannot be reused.) Yes, using gray water is more time-consuming, especially if you must do it by hand. But if it will keep a prized plant alive, it’s worth the effort. If you’re considering installing a collection system for recycling gray water, you can find complete installation instructions on the UGACAES website along with usage suggestions for the gray water. It is of great concern that we do not know how long the drought will continue or how serious our water shortage will become. Please do your part to preserve one of our most precious natural resources by using water conservatively. Native plants are the best choice for gardens in a changing climate. And remember to pray for rain!
More information can be found at http://georgiadrought.com
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