Water conservation made easy

For many Canadians, manicuring the lawn and maintaining a beautiful garden continues to be a favourite summertime hobby. While the desire for a beautiful yard continues to grow, Canadians are becoming more conscientious about water conservation. To help gardeners achieve a lush environment while also conserving water, the lawn and garden team at Canadian Tire has put together some helpful tips to save time, money and energy.

- Water your garden or lawn first thing in the morning, ideally between 7 a.m. and 10a.m. This reduces the likelihood of water evaporation and fungal disease as the garden and lawn can absorb the water before the mid-day heat. Also consider a solar-powered watering unit, available at Canadian Tire is a Solar Rechargeable Sprinkler that charges batteries while in use using sunlight and includes a remote control to customize watering patterns.

- Use a soaker hose for your garden. Soaker hoses use up to 70% less water than conventional sprinklers as they allow the water to seep directly into the ground and target the root systems more effectively

- Installing a water timer, such as a programmable digital unit will ensure that you control the amount of water used on a daily basis

- Install a drip irrigation system. These systems use tiny emitters to water specific areas or plants versus open spaces at a set rate, using less water and nurturing fewer weeds

- Consider using an environmentally water saver, such as a rain barrel. Plants and lawns love oxygen-rich rain water and a rain barrel is the perfect way to collect this valuable resource. Simply connect the barrel directly to your eaves trough downspout and the barrel will collect the rainwater rather than letting it go to waste in the sewers.

Add mulch to your garden. Available at Canadian Tire is a 100% organic and biodegradable mulch block product that expands to 2 cubic feet. Providing a layer of mulch to your garden will help to retain moisture in the ground, inhibiting weed growth and requiring less watering