For garden, think about going grey
Shrubs, trees best for recycled water
In my effort to conserve water and reuse it, I have been saving water in the kitchen sink from rinsing and washing dishes, then taking it to the garden to water rose bushes. I am wondering if the soapy water is good or bad for the roses and other outdoor plants.
Rosemary
As we often hear, every drop counts. I commend you on saving dishwater, bath water, shower water and any other recycled water that you can in order to conserve what we need for drinking.
The type of water you are saving is considered gr ey water, and there is a lot of information on the Internet pertaining to how to use it. I would like to begin by recommending a very reputable resource and website called Greywater Action ( www. greywateraction. org), which is nonprofit. It started in 1999, long before this current drought, by Laura Allen and Cleo Woelfle- Erskine, who built a gr ey- water system in their backyard out of concern for the amount of water they were using.
They now have a team of educators who give workshops and hands- on classes in installing gr eywater systems throughout California. The Ecology Center in Berkeley is the fiscal sponsor.
To begin, here are few facts gleaned from the grey- water gardening website about water. The average person generates more than 25 gallons of gr ey water each day. If you are a family of four, that equates to enough gr ey water to irrigate a 2,400- square- foot garden in a semiarid area such as Southern California. Gr ey water should be used within 24 hours of collecting because of the bacteria that come from the grease and organic materials in the soap, which begins to grow and can multiply to unsafe levels
The first thing to look at is the type of soap you are using to wash with. Soaps often contain sodium and boron, which begin to accumulate in the soil and create problems for the long- term health of your plants. The Ecology Center in Berkeley has an extensive list of cleaners and soaps at http:// ecologycenter. org/ wp- content/ uploads/ 2013/ 06/ greywater. cleaning. pdf, which will help you find the best one for your roses.
Water softeners also can pose a problem because they use salts to bind the metals in the water, thus making it soft.
Gr ey water is best for larger plants such as trees, shrubs and even berries. It is not recommended for vegetables or fruits that are at ground level because you could be exposed to bacteria from the water.
If you are watering shrubs or trees remember that their roots extend out into the drip line — the outer edge of the canopy. Dig a basin at this point or beyond, and water into the basin.
Another option is to install a gr ey- water system to your washing machine, which is a great way to save water. Every county has regulations about installing gr ey- water systems, so it’s best to check what the laws are in your community.
The summer solstice is here and the summer will be long; according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is an 85 percent chance that an El Niño is in the making. We can only hope, and learn how to use water wisely.