Saving Water in the Garden

This sign reads: 

“Saving water in the garden. Water is a key ingredient to helping our garden plants grow. But it  is also a limited resource. Using efficient water management techniques helps Sprout maintain  a more productive and sustainable garden. 

Soil squeeze test. A simple way to determine if the soil has enough moisture. Dig down six to  eight inches to grab a handful of soil and squeeze it in your fist.” 

Below this is a picture of a hand with soil in it. The soil is tightly packed and has finger marks in  it. The text states: Too wet. If the soil stays in a compact ball or leaves mud on your fingers, it is  too wet and needs time to dry out. 

The next picture is of a hand with soil in it. This soil is slightly crumbly and does not have finger  marks. The accompanying text states: “Just right. You want enough moisture that the soil  remains in loose clumps with a small amount of crumble when you open your hand. It should  smell nice and earthy. Time to water! If the soil is too dry, none of it will stick together. It may  also smell musty.” 

The middle of the sign featured an image of a rain barrel with a gauge showing the optimal time  of day to water. The top of the rain barrel reads: “rain barrel system. Catching and storing  rainwater helps reduce the amount of water used from our area’s water supply. When rain hits  the roof of the shed, it flows to the downspout and into the barrel, collecting rainwater that  otherwise would have been wasted.” The rain barrel features a gutter leading into the inlet.  Just below the inlet sits the screen, which is explained to “Keep bugs and debris out of the  water.” Also at the top of the barrel is the overflow mechanism. This “lets water out when the  barrel gets too full” and is shown as a tube positioned on the side of the barrel near the top.  The spigot is positioned at the bottom of the barrel and is labeled: “use to fill watering cans.”  The gauge shows six am and five pm as the optimal watering times. Next to the gauge, the sign  reads: “Timing. Water during the morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation from sun  and heat. Water wisely, avoid watering at the warmest parts of the day.”

The section on the right side of the sign is titled “Tools for Efficiency” and reads: “as much as  fifty percent of the water used outdoors is wasted by inefficient watering methods. The  following tools help us waste less water at Sprout. Fun fact! Watering less often but for a longer  period of time gives the water a chance to reach deeper roots.” There is a drawing of a hose  with a shut-off nozzle, a rain gauge, and a spigot with an irrigation timer attached to it. Next to  the rain gauge, the sign reads: “a rain gauge measures how much rainwater our garden has  received so we can water less after a rain. Next to the drawing of the spigot, the sign reads:  “Irrigation devices such as drip lines, soaker hoses, and timers ensure the right amount of water  is delivered to each garden bed.”