how to use water efficiently in and around your home

– Consider these water – wise ideas in the gardens
– Raise the edges of your garden beds to prevent run -off.
– Choose indigenous and drought – tolerent plants for your garden – ieeally plants that are suitable for your prticular climate.
– Use a good mulch to reduce water run  – off and evapouration such as bark chips gravel or compost.
– Plant windbreaks to reduce the drying effect of wind.
Control weeds, which compete with useful plants for water.
– Keep planted areas dense and consolidated. Sparse scattered plants are more difficult to water.
– Use windbreaks perogolas screens lattices shade cloth and climbers to shelter to water.
– Collect rainwater from your roof in tanks placed under downpipes.
– Construct underground French drains form the gutters to where you wish water to be directed.
– Avoid cleaning paved areas with a hose pipe – rather brush them down with a garden broom.
– Use a bucket than a hosepipe.

Soil

– Add organic matter to the soil whenever possible as it assists in water retention.
–  When planting up containers mix water retaining granuales into the potting soil.
– if your ground is compact, whn you first, deep till or loosen it for better water penetration. if you have clay soil add lime.

Irrigation

– Switch off irrigation systems or sprinklers as soon as puddles start to form.
–  consider a drip irrigation system for watering, shrubs trees and vegetables. this will prevent water loss by evaporation.
– During extended periods of cool, overcast weather reduce the time of the irrigation cycles.
– Check your irrigation system regularly to avoid losing water through leaks and inefficiency.
Irrigate at night when the evapotranspiration rates are lower and the water pressure is higher.
– Adjust sprinklers so they don’t water the paving.

Water your garden.

– Avoid watering on windy days.
– Water when your plant is starting to wilt.
– the best times to water are early in  the morning or late afternoon.
– Water your garden less often, often but more thoroughly as frequent watering encourages shallow roots making your plants more.
– Plants annuals and other plants with high water needs in containers rather than in masses.
– Use water timers on your tap in case you forget to turn of the hose
– Water your garden with a watering can whenever possible rather than a hose.
– create water water basins around trees and large shrubs directly by installing a pipe that runs through the soil and down to the roots.
– In summer rainfall areas delay watering to early in spring as plants will normally only flourish after the first good rains

Lawns

– Keep your lawn area small
– Minimise run off by contouring your lawn to channel water into boarders not down driveways.
– Encourage healthy deep rooted grass by irrigating lawns as deeply and infrequently as possible.

Vegetable patches

– Grow cucumbers and tomatoes in containers as they require large amounts of water.
– Sow carrots lettuce beet turnips and radish in closely spaced parallel rows or in  a band to reduce the area requiring water.
– make sure the vegetables garden is moist at the start of the day when groing into a heatwave