14 Aug Water Saving Tips for your Garden and Pool
Outdoor water use accounts for 25-50% of the average home’s water
Gardens are an area where huge amounts of water is wasted. Examples include leaving sprinkler systems running for unnecessary amounts of time and hosing down pathways instead of sweeping them. It is worth thinking about reducing the amount of water you use on your garden, collecting rainwater for use and recycling greywater. With the use of water-saving technologies and a bit of planning you can have attractive and productive gardens whilst being wise about water.
Maintaining the garden
• Choose drought-tolerant plant and lawn species.
• Use good-quality soil with plenty of organic matter.
• Mulch and compost your garden regularly. Good mulches, including sugar cane, wood chips, gravel and stone, increase water absorption and the moisture content of soil.
• Pull out weeds, as they compete with your garden plants for moisture and nutrients.
• Leave your lawn long (2.5cm). This will help retain moisture in the soil and encourage deeper root growth.
Watering
• Water gardens and lawns in the morning and evening when it is cooler.
• Only water when you really need to. If rain is forecast, let Mother Nature attend to it for you.
• Water deeply and less frequently to encourage plants and lawn to grow deeper roots and be more resilient to dry times. Twice a week should be sufficient if you have a well-mulched garden, suitable soil and established plants.
• Consider other sources of water such as a rainwater tank or your laundry greywater.
Tips for your pool
• Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation
• Install a shade cloth over the pool to help reduce evaporation
• Install a rainwater tank or downpipe diverter to top-up your pool instead of using town water
• Check for leaks around the pool
• Plant some bushes around the pool to protect it from wind, which causes evaporation
Source: Smartwatermark.org/Victoria; Unity water, water efficiency tips