Community
3 September, 2021
Saving water in the garden is easy
SURE, we live in a region of Australia where it rains a lot, but that doesn’t mean we should be remiss about saving water around the household.
Other areas of Queensland have taken the pressure off the dependence of costly, energy-consuming water supply infrastructure by getting their consumers to change their water usage habits, to positive, water conserving results.
We often take for granted the amount of rain that falls in our gardens in the far north. But we also sometimes act surprised when finding ourselves under water restrictions in drier conditions.
Careful planning and good gardening habits can make a big difference to our watering needs:
Here are some top tips for saving water in the garden:
● Don’t over-water, as waterlogged soil encourages the growth of bacteria and fungi, which cause disease
in plants
● If possible and affordable, consider installing a decent-sized water tank, which can be filled during the wetter times to be used in the gardens during the dry season
● Mulch generously—it reduces water loss by up to 70 per cent, improves your soil and discourages weeds
● Compost food scraps—compost enriches the soil by helping it to absorb and hold more water.
● Investigate ways of redirecting water from downpipes for use on your garden
● Here in the north plant tropical climate resistant plant species and consider carefully the type of lawn
you plant.
● Water your garden and lawn in the early morning, never during the heat of the day.
