Conserving water - Claire's Allotment 115 - A Spanish special

My parents live out in what is technically desert in southern Spain. How do they conserve water to grow their plants? Here's how...

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Allotment
• Gardening
• Horticulture
• Water
• Conservation

[tonyscot1]

Hi, i have a tank at my allotment in Germany, and would like to get some of those "t-bags". Could you tell us the product name or recommend another that i could maybe get hold of outside of Spain. Thanx in advance. ts1

[clairesallotment]

@tonyscot1 5 expect that if you go into your local DIY centre they'll have a box of "Toilet tea bags". If you look for bags to use in a septic tank. You may find something on the internet that you can order. I don't know what's available in Germany, you'll have to investigate that yourself. If people have septic tanks then there must be somewhere you can get the bags from. My parents get theirs from the supermarket. I hope that's of some help.

[kokonutbaby1]

Am also surprised they have to have water trucked in out there..I bet that is expensive..guess they kinda have u over the barrel on that one if only one company does that. Looks very desert like in that part of Spain also. So is there a community there close to them or are they isolated? I'd be kinda afraid if its isolated. I know u mentioned a town close by but was wondering if a bunch of homes are there close?

[clairesallotment]

@kokonutbaby1 The water truck is expensive, but it's the only way they can get water. There are no water pipes going up to their property, and the hassle they had getting electricity, getting water pipes in is not on the cards at the moment. The road is very thin, so how the water man manages I don't know. The local village is a 2hr walk away, but a 10 - 15 minute drive. They really are in the middle of nowhere. There are a few houses around, but that's it. Very quiet.

[kokonutbaby1]

Thank you so much, Claire, I really enjoyed that video..I am also on a septic tank system & the black water as u call it runs into it & goes out 80 ft or so of what we call in the US "field lines". I notice also around my field lines that weeds grow higher & are very green. I do wish I had some "grey water" pipes to feed down around my plants & wish I had thought about that when the pipes were laid out. Does your parents hand water or do they irrigate the plants from another line from that tank?

[clairesallotment]

@kokonutbaby1 They have a hose and watering can, so do it by hand. Dad wants to put in some form of irrigation system, but hasn't got around to it yet. Maybe that's his job over the winter.

[clairesallotment]

@ukgardener1 They drain it out of the barrel every now and then and it goes in the septic tank.

[ukgardener1]

Hi Claire first of all love your videos but can i ask you if your parents do anything with the sludge that is left from the first blue barrel or is it just disposed of

[clairesallotment]

@1fanger My parents technically live in desert. They have the rainy season in February and March, but still don't get a huge amount of water. Sometimes they still have to water in the winter. Try putting rhubarb leaves in water for a few days, that stinks too, but is great plant feed. Make sure you have a lid on the container otherwise all the neighbours will think there's a problem with the drains.

[clairesallotment]

@mywootgarden So do I, I always enjoy the rest, swim in the pool, the sun and of course seeing how the vegetable patch is getting on and what changes they've made.

[jihadacadien]

very intresting.

[mywootgarden]

awesome! i love when you visit your parents in Spain!

[clairesallotment]

@richardpeej I use the bath water and if necessary the washing machine water, but I have to take the outlet pipe out the back of the machine, as our drain pipes are behind the wall so we don't have a drain outside, very annoying.