These small drops that settle on plants at dawn can be useful to the gardener. How can we recover them?
When we wake up, nature is often damp. This phenomenon is linked to dew, these fine drops of water that bead on the flowers and leaves of the flowerbeds and soak the cushions of the garden furniture. What is the cause of this natural phenomenon?
Where does morning dew come from?
Morning dew is a meteorological phenomenon that actually occurs during the night but is observed in the early morning. The water vapor invisible to the eye contained in the air, in the gaseous state, condenses to transform into fine drops of water. The number of these drops of water varies according to the humidity level of the air, the soil and the ambient temperature.
Once it has turned into a liquid state, the dew then settles on all so-called cold exterior surfaces: plants, the ground and garden furniture.
What are the benefits of dew in the garden?
Morning dew has several benefits.
For plantsit provides them with the water necessary for their good health. By depositing itself on the entire plant, it removes any dust that may have settled on the stem, foliage or flowers.
For wildlife present, it is an easily accessible source of water to cool off, particularly in the event of a drought and difficulty in finding a water point.
Also readWhat happens in the garden at night?
How to collect dew to reuse it?
Just like rainwater, dew can be collected, which allows you to save money thanks to this water that comes “from the sky”. Depending on the climate, the air, the geographical location, the equipment used, the yield will be more or less significant.
According to Daniel Beysens, honorary research director at the PMMH laboratory (Physics and Mechanics of Heterogeneous Media), a joint laboratory of the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) and ESPCI–PSL (Higher School of Physics and Industrial Chemistry – Paris Sciences et Lettres), it is theoretically possible to obtain 0.6 liters per square meter sensor, at an air humidity rate between 75 and 80% and a condenser inclined at 30°.
To know the rates concerning your environment, it is possible to have the answer with dew point meters which work like a kind of thermometer.
Companies market condensers, which have a coating and a sloping shape specially adapted to collect, in a sort of reservoir, as many droplets as possible. (from €789 per unit).
To collect dew, here are some homemade solutions:
- The installation of plastic tarps, on which the water will settle directly. They must be lifted at dawn.
- You can also use a microfiber towel or a natural sponge and slide it over the leaves to absorb the dew. Then, squeeze it over a container to collect the liquid.
- You can also cover the soil of your crops with mulch which will directly absorb the dew and allow for less frequent watering.
