City Slicker Farms

By Food Justice Ally Sarah Holle

As wildfires continue to rage through dry brittle forests and reservoirs rapidly recede, the severity of the drought has become all too real. With the growing costs and concern of having enough water, conservation efforts need to be implemented. But this doesn't mean all the plants in your garden have to suffer! Watering a garden for a week has been calculated to use less water than taking a bath or doing a load of laundry.

City Slicker Farms has calculated how much water is needed for one of our 4’x8’ planter boxes. With a ½” drip irrigation system, watering 120 minutes/week or 30 minutes every other day, you'll use about 24 gallons per week for one box.

If you are hand-watering, a standard hose flow rate is about 5-7 gallons of water per minute. If you water for a couple minutes about 2-3 times a week, you'll also use 24 gallons per week for one box.

Now, let's compare these numbers to other basic water usage. The average use per person per day is 70 gallons, and East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is asking residents to reduce their usage to 35 gallons a day. A 10-minute shower with a water-saving showerhead uses 20 gallons of water, while a bath in a tub uses 35 gallons of water, and a load of laundry uses 42 gallons of water. To calculate your daily water usage on EBMUD's Water Smart Calculator.

So, don't give up on growing your food! Instead, look for other ways to conserve water and still maintain a beautiful, productive garden.

Here are five easy ways to reduce your water usage:

1. Use a nozzle on your hose when watering by hand. This will help to slow the water flow as well as direct it to the desired area. EBMUD has these available for free along with other water conservation items on their website.

2. Check for leaking hose spigots and use hose washers. Washers help to prevent water waste from continuous dripping. If you're a renter and the leaking persists, contact your landlord.  

3. Mulch. This helps reduce evaporation from the soil and keeps it moist longer. Coupons and tips on how-to can be accessed on EBMUD's "Magic Mulch" site.

4. Use drought tolerant plants: brown is the new green! Grassy lawns that consume heaps of water can be converted to use plants that require little. For more ideas on making this conversion visit EBMUD's Lawn Conversion site.

5. Use greywater. This is water used for bathing and laundry, and it can be reused in the garden. Find information and rebates can be on EBMUD's website.

Having a garden should be beneficial rather than costing an arm and a leg just to water.  Hand watering is an easy, cost efficient way to go, but if desired, drip irrigation systems can also be installed on a timer to conserve even more. However, drastic measures don’t need to be taken all at once; do what is feasible for you in the endeavor to sustain our current water supply and enjoy a harvest of fresh, homegrown food!