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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask you all to enjoy a better drought?

74 replies

Menier · Yesterday 11:45

Posting here for traffic.
I've just come back from my dog walk and have noticed many of the street trees are suffering badly in this drought and heatwave.
So would I be unreasonable to ask you all to water them if you can.
I know many of you will be doing this already.
Every little helps and it's not actually possible to overwater street trees, even just a washing up bowl full every other day if you have a hosepipe ban in your area.

OP posts:
BaronessBomburst · Yesterday 16:26

Also, whilst you're waiting for the shower to warm up in a cubicle, you can collect the water into a bucket.

Lilyhatesjaz · Yesterday 16:28

When I run the hot tap to get hot water I run it into a watering can rather than down the sink. It's surprising how much water is run before it gets hot especially first thing in the morning.

godmum56 · Yesterday 16:58

rainbowstardrops · Yesterday 14:46

I was going to ask this too. My tumble dryer (I only use it for towels at this time of year before anyone jumps on me because I don’t like crispy towels!) collect the water in a reservoir in the door but I’m reluctant to put it on my plants because of the chemicals from the washing pods. Can I put it on my plants then?
Oh and the feral children and their idiot of a dad have just had a lovely screaming episode in the garden as he chased them around the garden hose. I’m in the south and in one of the most water deprived areas right now. Mind you, he filled up their large pool last year when we were on a hosepipe ban and my other neighbour was jet washing her decking 🙄 Hey ho.

all of my tumbledryer water goes on plants and has done ever since I got a condenser type some 15 years ago. No fatalities.

Bikergran · Yesterday 17:00

Loulou4022 · Yesterday 12:35

My mums been saving washing up water to water her plants I’m surprised she not trying to find a way of saving the shower water too!

If she puts a bucket next to her in the shower it will catch some.

TrackingShoe · Yesterday 17:02

My monkey puzzle tree which is 30+ years old is really suffering in this heat. All the branches are brown. I am hoping that once we get some rain it will come back green again.

Oddly my plum and apple trees that I planted this year don’t seem to be doing too badly. I am giving them a watering can of water once a week.

MagicalBagPuss · Yesterday 17:02

And it will give your feet a welcome soak

muddyford · Yesterday 17:03

Southwest Water declared a hosepipe ban in this area this morning. Water is still running down the road from a leak I first reported eleven months ago and have followed up twice recently.

Topseyt123 · Yesterday 17:05

Darragon · Yesterday 13:25

Yes spaffing water on trees during a drought is really a great idea. 🙄 Only grey water should be used on plants right now. Trees aren’t going to die without our dwindling potable water, their roots go deep. But there are tons of other performative bleeding heart types on MN so I suspect lots of people will agree with you and waste water in this way. What don’t people get about the fact that the water is running out? It doesn’t matter what caused it, the outcome is the same. Humans and animals cannot survive without water. Trees can manage. Also pouring water on a plant when the soil is hot actually harms it.

There's always one. 🙄🙄

ineedadehumidifier · Yesterday 17:07

Everything in my garden is brown and crispy. I’m saving shower water in a bucket and putting that and tumble drier water on the trees and plants.
I am also putting fresh water out for the wildlife (foxes/deer etc) because all local natural sources have dried up.

ChocolateCinderToffee · Yesterday 17:10

The bucket to flush the loo is a very good idea, I’m trying that, thank you!

Menier · Yesterday 17:11

MotherOfCatBoy · Yesterday 16:04

Every little helps. Washing up liquid etc isn’t too bad and is better than no water at all.

Where I live we have a Tree Forum which works with the local council. It took many years of advocacy from dedicated, knowledgeable volunteers to persuade the council to adopt a tree strategy and start planting a new generation of street trees, and new trees in public green spaces. The deal is that volunteers will water and maintain them for their first few years. As a result most of the new trees planted since 2022 have survived the last few years dry spells where many areas have seen over 50% loss of saplings, which is a waste of everyone’s public money. If you can adopt a tree and give it even as little as two buckets of water a week, it makes a dramatic difference to overall survival.

Ive been out this morning and watered young trees in our local park (they have a water source on site to fill the watering can with) and I’ve chucked a bucket on the mature lime across the road from me. It all helps.

Tree Forum sounds like a great idea- and something I'd definitely be up for organising in my local area, can you share more details about it? Not sure how/ if direct messaging works on here but would love to know more.

I'd also appreciate a water source on site in our local park, so many of the trees and shrubs are struggling there too. They have water for dogs so must be a possibility.

OP posts:
FlyingPandas · Yesterday 17:12

BaronessBomburst · Yesterday 16:26

Also, whilst you're waiting for the shower to warm up in a cubicle, you can collect the water into a bucket.

This is what we're doing. I have two 10L buckets in the shower stall and even a fairly short shower can pretty much fill them both. Times that by 5 family members taking a shower each a day and you've got a decent haul of water! The buckets are not too heavy to carry downstairs and we use the water to water the garden plants. Same with washing up water and condenser dryer water (like a PP we only use the dryer for the towels, and I don't use the dishwasher on a day to day basis either).

Obviously a good downpour of rainwater would be better but the plants seem to be doing well enough on the grey water.

TeenLifeMum · Yesterday 17:15

Washing up liquid is great for lawns and helps with absorption.

I’m doing what I can to keep my garden alive by watering my trees but dh is very concerned and the water bill so I don’t think I can start watering other trees 😬🙈

NoCommentingFromNowOn · Yesterday 17:16

Grey water is great, make sure you use it within 24 hours, and don’t use it for vegetables or fruit, herbs etc. I don’t know about fruit trees though, can anyone say something about that?

TeenLifeMum · Yesterday 17:16

ineedadehumidifier · Yesterday 17:07

Everything in my garden is brown and crispy. I’m saving shower water in a bucket and putting that and tumble drier water on the trees and plants.
I am also putting fresh water out for the wildlife (foxes/deer etc) because all local natural sources have dried up.

You’re using a tumble dryer? Just put clothes and bedding outside for an hour in this heat.

VoteForCountBinface · Yesterday 17:20

The4teddybears · Yesterday 13:30

My husband showers whilst standing in one of those large flexible buckets with handles. Then takes outside to water the garden .
Youd be surprised by how much water you get from 1 shower .

I use it to flush the loo.

Glitterbiscuits · Yesterday 17:21

Water with washing up liquid is a traditional spray for greenfly and this is what’s putting me off using anything with soap in.

UsernameHoarder · Yesterday 17:30

Spaffing 🤦‍♀️Hmm

WerewolfOfLoudon · Yesterday 17:33

Loulou4022 · Yesterday 12:35

My mums been saving washing up water to water her plants I’m surprised she not trying to find a way of saving the shower water too!

Collapsible Ice baths

GreenChameleon · Yesterday 17:36

The4teddybears · Yesterday 13:30

My husband showers whilst standing in one of those large flexible buckets with handles. Then takes outside to water the garden .
Youd be surprised by how much water you get from 1 shower .

This is a great idea, I've been trying to work out how to save the water from showering!
I save all grey water in the kitchen but it's only just enough for the trees in my garden.

SusanJJ · Yesterday 17:40

Darragon · Yesterday 13:25

Yes spaffing water on trees during a drought is really a great idea. 🙄 Only grey water should be used on plants right now. Trees aren’t going to die without our dwindling potable water, their roots go deep. But there are tons of other performative bleeding heart types on MN so I suspect lots of people will agree with you and waste water in this way. What don’t people get about the fact that the water is running out? It doesn’t matter what caused it, the outcome is the same. Humans and animals cannot survive without water. Trees can manage. Also pouring water on a plant when the soil is hot actually harms it.

Why so rude? You would make your point better without the 'performative bleeding heart' insults.

orangehandles · Yesterday 17:40

No amount of washing-up water is going to bring back the hundreds of dying trees in the countryside hedgerows and woods near us. The silver birches seem to be the worst affected, but in a lot of stretches at least half of the trees have a sickly yellowish tinge to them. Not good.

PrizedPickledPopcorn · Yesterday 17:44

It would be helpful if they did plumbing the way they used to, with external downpipes you can tap into. Ideally all fitted with the gadget that allows you to put in a collection tap, like those used for water butts.

Back in the 70s all the grey water was collected and used for the garden. I can’t access any grey water from my house, built in 2010. Only the rainwater off the roof.

Teeheehee1579 · Yesterday 17:44

Loulou4022 · Yesterday 12:35

My mums been saving washing up water to water her plants I’m surprised she not trying to find a way of saving the shower water too!

Good on your mum - we should all be doing this.

Menier · Yesterday 17:48

orangehandles · Yesterday 17:40

No amount of washing-up water is going to bring back the hundreds of dying trees in the countryside hedgerows and woods near us. The silver birches seem to be the worst affected, but in a lot of stretches at least half of the trees have a sickly yellowish tinge to them. Not good.

I agree, it's horrible to see this. I don't know how much longer the drought will go on for but I do think we can make a difference by watering what we can, then hopefully once rain comes some trees that would not have survived will have, especially saplings as someone upthread said.

OP posts:
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