We use lots of water in our garden and we waste a lot too. Summer gardens can drink 1,000L of water per hour.
- Check water restrictions here
- Do you really need to water your garden? Dig about 10cm into the dirt and if it’s moist there, you don’t need to water.
- Love your garden by putting down a mulch, like compost, leaves, bark or pea straw. A good mulch stops about 70 per cent of your water evaporating away.
- The best times for watering is early morning or the evening.
- For established plants, about 30 minutes' watering once or twice a week should do the trick in dry weather, as long as the moisture can soak into the ground.
- Water the roots (not the leaves). Make sure you water at a rate the water can be absorbed.
- Soak – don’t spray. A good soaking every third or fourth day encourages the roots to go deeper into the soil, making the plant more able to survive dry spells.
- When water restrictions aren't in place, you can use a sprinkler but put it on a timer set to 30 minutes. A forgotten sprinkler with no timer can waste more than 1,000L of water every hour.