Water Saving Tips

Your GardenGarden Tips

It is possible to keep a healthy garden during a drought. Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Choose drought tolerant plants – but remember, these plants will only become drought tolerant once they have a well established root system, so they will require a little more watering for the first few months.
  • Install a drip irrigation system, click here to find out about free workshops to show you how.
  • Use mulch on your garden to reduce evaporation, reduce weed growth and reduce water runoff when it rains. 75mm is an ideal mulch depth.
  • Use greywater from your bathroom and laundry click here for more information.
  • Use a staged approach to planting. Either plant one section of the garden at a time or start with structural plants like trees and shrubs to establish shelter and reduce evaporation, then add smaller plants later.
  • Use a compost bin. Compost helps soil retain water and is packed full of nutrients that will give your garden the extra boost it needs.
  • Fertilising can help your plants stay healthy, visit your local nursery to find out what's best for your plants.
  • After fertilising the garden, make sure you water in the fertiliser. Be careful not to over water as runoff will occur and the fertiliser will be pushed away from the plants. In soils that contain high percentages of loams and sand or are very high in organics be careful not to push the water nutrient past the effective root zone of the plant.
  • If you mow the lawn, cut the grass much longer in the warmer months to reduce evaporation – put your lawn clippings in the compost bin, or consider buying a mulching mower so you can leave the clippings on the lawn to act as a mulch and reduce evaporation.
  • Use wetting agents to enable soil to absorb water more readily.
  • Think small – you can still have a beautiful garden, just keep everything to a smaller scale to reduce overall water consumption.

Trigger NozzleHow to water during restrictions

Even when restrictions are in place, there are many opportunities to water your garden without breaking the rules. The ‘odds and evens’ system is designed to help you select a watering time for some modest watering, perhaps once per week, which suits your individual circumstances.

The ‘odds and evens’ system means that, if your street number ends in an odd number (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9), you can water as per restrictions on days when the date also ends in an odd number. Similarly, if your street number ends in an even number (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) you can water on days when the date also ends on an even number.

And remember, only water your garden when you need to. Once a week is often enough so don’t just water because you can. And if it rains, don’t double up by watering as well.

Invest in a trigger nozzle

A trigger nozzle is a mandatory attachment to hoses when used for garden watering in the ACT. It means you can effectively direct water to where it is needed.

A trigger nozzle can be easily attached to your hand-held hose, but make sure you have a good quality fitting. Visit your local nursery, hardware or irrigation store for advice.

The most effective way to water

Most gardens and lawns have adapted to the drought conditions and need only a little watering. Experts recommend that you water your plants using an efficient method known as cyclic watering. Cyclic watering keeps your garden healthy with minimal water usage. Cyclic watering does not cause excessive pooling or runoff, and helps water better penetrate the soil.

The principles of cyclic watering can be applied to all watering methods, including drip irrigation and hand watering.

  1. Water a designated area until pooling and runoff begins, then turn the water off.
  2. Leave the area for half an hour to an hour to allow the water to soak into the soil.
  3. Water the area again until pooling and runoff begins, then turn the water off.
  4. Again, leave the area for half an hour to an hour to allow the water to soak into the soil.
  5. In between watering cycles, dig around to see if the water is reaching the root zones. Then you will know how many times you have to repeat the cyclic watering process to let the water reach areas where it is really needed. You can then program your drip irrigation system accordingly.
  6. Continue steps 1-5 throughout the watering time permitted by the relevant restriction stage to maximise the benefit of watering while minimising water usage. You should only need to water each area once or twice a week, depending on the weather.

To get started why not attend one of ACTEW's FREE Waterwise Gardening Workshops to help you minimise the amount of water you use in your garden.

Ask an expert

If you are starting a new garden or considering a complete overhaul of your existing garden, visit your local nursery, call a garden or lawn care expert or attend one of ACTEW's FREE Waterwise Gardening Workshops.