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How will my garden grow?
In Queensland, where we have long, hot Spring and Summer days, it simply doesn't make sense to water during the day - even with a handheld hose, or using bore or tank water.
Most of the water evaporates before it penetrates to the roots, and gardening experts will tell you it can even cause the plants to burn. So not only is it inefficient, you can actually do your plants harm.
However, you can still have a beautiful garden, while using much less water. Here are a few tips:
- Water during the cooler parts of the day.
- Toughen your plants by watering only when the soil dries out, not every day.
- Use a handheld hose to direct the water to the roots, not the leaves.
- Apply plenty of mulch to prevent evaporation and run-off - that way your plants can go longer between drinks.
- For trees: dig a small trench around the base - this will give the water a chance to soak in to the roots rather than running off.
- For pot plants: fill a bucket with water and dunk them in one at a time - waiting a few seconds until the air bubbles disappear, to make sure the water has fully penetrated the potting mix.
- For lawns: deep soak your lawn at night, once a week. This will enable the water to soak in rather than evaporating in the sun, and encourage the grass to develop deeper roots to seek out moisture in the soil rather than relying on frequent surface watering.
- For new gardens and lawns: talk to you nursery about drought-tolerant plants and lawn grass, or investigate natural grasses and ground covers as an alternative to lawn.
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