ᐅ Is an automatic garden irrigation system worthwhile without a rainwater harvesting tank?

20-30 minutes is never enough. Consider how much water flow you have and the water demand of the plants…
It is rather subjective.

We are only allowed to install a calibrated water meter on the outdoor faucet, which we then have to photograph and replace after the calibration period expires.

We cannot install a water meter indoors because the water just flows through (that’s what we were told).

If we were to really run a hose through the garden, we would also have to move the curb that separates the drainage stones surrounding the house since we would have to pass through there.

With the right planting, flower and perennial beds hardly need any watering.

I follow the same approach as Winniefred. Plants must be able to tolerate drought. Watering is only done when necessary. Surprisingly, deeply rooted plants require very little water. For example, roses can easily survive 4-5 weeks without rainfall in full sun. Deep roots cannot be achieved through drip irrigation or daily light watering with a garden hose.

Brown grass in summer is normal. It is considered acceptable in our area. Nobody around here has an irrigation system. Dry lawn is very resilient, as I can see with ours. It takes a long time before it turns brown, and it recovers quite quickly. However, it grows relatively little during dry periods, which encourages weeds. This method won’t produce a soft, evergreen lawn.

I am quite surprised by some of the (alleged) daily water requirements for the gardens mentioned here.

andimann schrieb:

saves you from watering beds for hours every day.

FrankChief schrieb:

I’m thinking about the daily watering

No garden needs to be watered daily. Exceptions are freshly planted or sown plants during dry periods with heat, especially on sandy soil typical of heathlands. Or if plant choice was made without any consideration except appearance.

You can also make life unnecessarily difficult. I haven’t watered my tomatoes at all in the two weeks since planting, except for initial thorough watering. They’re under a shelter, so don’t get any rain. Of course, I mulch the bed. Tomatoes are plants with rather high water needs. If the leaves start to droop, then I give them a good watering can.

Our perennial bed was only watered in the first year when everything was new and not well rooted yet. Plants were selected according to heat and drought tolerance. Since then, no watering. Whatever survived has continued to thrive and looks good. And weeds barely manage to establish themselves that way—only dandelions and hibiscus seedlings from the neighbor’s shrub are really tough to control.

MachsSelbst schrieb:

but in the first year, these plants need water, water, water. And preferably only every few days, but then quickly and thoroughly so that the plant roots as deeply as possible. This also applies to lawns.
And even later on. No one can convince me that they would let their carefully established garden completely die during a drought summer like in 2021 or 2022, only to rip out the hedge the next year and start over from scratch.

This applies for the first year. But shrubs, which usually have deep roots, should manage on their own after establishing. Otherwise, you have chosen the wrong species for the location.

What really needs regular watering are potted plants when it gets very warm and dry.

Well, that’s great. Then buy it at the hardware store; depending on the sewage fees, you will recover the costs after using about 15 to 20 m³ (530 to 700 cubic feet). And you will easily need that amount within 5 years.

chand1986 schrieb:

I’m surprised by some of the claimed water requirements for gardens mentioned here.

No garden needs to be watered daily. Exceptions are newly planted or seeded items during dry, hot periods, especially on sandy, infertile soil. Or if plant selection was based solely on appearance without considering other factors.

You can make life harder for yourself. I haven’t watered my tomatoes at all since planting them two weeks ago, except for a thorough initial watering. They are kept under cover, so they don’t get any rain. Of course, I mulch the bed. And tomatoes are plants with relatively high water needs. If the leaves droop at some point, then they get a good watering again.

We only watered our perennial bed in the first year, when everything was new and not well established. Plants were selected based on heat and drought tolerance. Since then, no watering. What has survived continues to thrive and looks good. Weeds hardly manage to grow this way, only dandelions and hibiscus seedlings from the neighbor’s bush are really tough.

This applies for the first year after planting. But shrubs, which usually have deep roots, should manage on their own once established. Otherwise, the wrong species was chosen for the site.

What really needs regular watering during hot and dry spells are pots.

However, this also depends on the soil and location. At my father’s place in Potsdam, where the soil is excellent, we haven’t had to water at all this year. In our sandy soil, I could only grow cacti. Neither roses, perennials, nor shrubs would survive more than a few days. This cannot be generalized.