S U S T A I N I N GG A R D E N S

I ND R Y

T I M E S

We would like to acknowledge the following individuals and companies for their assistance in the production of this publication:

•KevinWalsh,authorofWaterwise Gardening,ReedNewHolland, Third Edition 2004•SustainableGardeningAustraliawww.sgaonline.org.au

Ac K N oW l e d G e m e N tS :

With more than 20 per cent potable (drinking) water used outdoors, we need to change our approach to watering the garden. We want to share with you some practical and immediate ideas on how you can sustainyourgardenduringdrytimes.

We recognise how important gardens are to all our residents and the enjoyment gardening brings to many people.Gardenshelppeoplefeelbetter,encouragesocialinteraction,increaseuseofoutdoorspace,reduceheating and cooling costs in nearby

buildingsbyupto20percent,provideoxygen and absorb significant amounts of carbon! Byfollowingtheadviceinthisbrochure,youwillnotonlysavewater,butalsomoney,timeandourenvironmentby reducing stormwater run-off and urbansalinity,whilestillmaintainingarewardingandsuccessfulgarden.

For a range of independently reviewed garden products visit savewater!®

products at www.savewater.com.au/products

Be rewarded for saving water through rebates on buying and installing a range of products for thegarden.

Rebatesof$1500areavailableonrainwatertanksfromtheNSWStateGovernmentandtheFederalGovernment.

www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebates/ www.environment.gov.au/water/programs/nrgi

e l e v e Nt o p t i p SF o R AW A t e Re F F i c i e N tG A R d e N

1 d o N ’ t m A K e m A j o R c H A N G e Sto yo u R GA R d e N i N S u m m e R

Summeristhetimetomaintainandenjoyyourgarden.theidealtimefornewplants,installingirrigationsystemsandothermajorchangesisAutumnasthe garden has nine months to recover beforetheheatofnextSummer.

youwillneedtomaintainyourgardeninSummerbykeepingupthemulch,pruningandincreasingshade.

inSummerdisturbedsoillosesitsmoisture rapidly and combined with water restrictions makes it hard for gardenstorecover.

inAutumn,particularlyoncerainhasfallen,yournewgardenwillbelesslabour intensive to create and more likelytoprosper.

2 m u lc H

mulchcanreduceevaporationfromsoilbyupto70percent.mulchislikeablanketonthesoil,keepingitcoolandprotectingitfromdryingout.

mulchalsoimprovessoilstructure,increasingwaterretention,soilnutrientsandwormactivity.mulchisessentialif you are going to maintain your garden throughperiodsoflowrainfall.

Coarse mulchchunkypinebark,freshpeastrawandlucerne,pebblesandevenrecycledconcreteandbricks.Allofthesemakelong lasting mulch and are excellent forweedpreventionandkeepingsoilcool,particularlyifthemulchislight-coloured.ifusingcoarseorganicmulches,spreadsome nitrogen-rich fertiliser on the soilfirst,assomenitrogenmaybelostfromthesoilasthemulchbreaksdown.

thistypeofmulchcanbe50–75mm (3inches)deep.

Medium mulchmediummulcheslikepinebarkorwoodchips are usually spread at around25–50mm(2inches)deepandareexcellentforweedprevention.

Fine mulchFinemulchmayincludesawdust,grassclippings,rottedpeastrawandcompost.itshouldn’tbelaidmorethan25mm(1inch)deep,asitmaypreventwaterfromreachingthesoil.Anaddedadvantage of fine mulches is they break downquickly,attractingwormsandimprovingthesoil.

Soilisalivingthing.compostincreasesorganic content in the soil and provides material to keep the soil alive and full ofnutrients.theperfectgrowingsoilisonethatdrainseasilysoitdoesn’tgetwaterlogged,yetholdsenoughwatertofeedtheplants.

3 c o m p o S t

compostwillassistinboththeseareas.Withoutgoodsoil,noamountofwaterwillallowyourgardentothrive. compostiseasytomakeathomeandifyoudon’thaveacompostheap,youcanstartonebypilingfoodscraps,leavesandgardenwaste.tofindoutmore about making a compost heap visit www.sgaonline.org.au

4 WAt e R i N G

Here’satest.Beforewateringyourgarden,push aside the mulch and put your finger intothesoil.ifitismoistbelowthesurface,thenyoudon’tactuallyneedtowater.

manyhealthyplantsingoodsoils are drought-tolerant and even in dry weather conditions will not need additionalwateringonceestablished.With your existing plants try watering lessfrequentlyandthennotatall.

observethemforsignsofstressincludingwiltingandleaffall.youwillbesurprisedhow tough many of your plants are!

lessfrequentdeepwateringencouragesdeep rooted plants better equipped to withstandhot,drydays.

checkthefour-dayweatherforecastatwww.bom.nsw.gov.auifthere’srainahead,lettheraindothewateringforyou.

Rainwatertanksareundoubtedlypopularforsavingwater.tanksareeasyto use and now available in styles to suit everyhome.Rainwatertankscanalsoprovide you with free water all year round and are not affected by waterrestrictions.

it’sbesttoinvestinatankthatholdsatleast5,000litresandhavethetankplumbedtoyourtoiletandlaundry.

toiletsuseapproximately14percentof drinking quality water in the house andwashingmachinesusearound16percent.thetankcanalsobeeasilyconnectedtooutdoortapsandhoses.

Tanks plumbed to the toilet and laundry can be used effectively during periods ofhighrainfallwhenyoudon’tneedtowateryourgarden.

Tank water should be used in preference togreywater,especiallyforherbsandvegetables.evenbetter,usetankwaterin conjunction with other recommended water-savingmeasureslikemulch,dripsystemsandsoiladditives.

ifyouareintheprocessofplanninganew house we encourage you to ensure the design includes provision for a rainwatertank.

5 R A i N WAt e RtA N KS

Attheplanningstageyoucanarrangeforasuitablespaceforyourtank,including underground and bladder styletanksforunderyourdecking.youwill save water and add considerably to the value and enjoyment of both your houseandyourgarden.

Don’t forget to use a licensed plumber when installing your tank, rainwater diverters and other work that involves alteration to plumbing fixtures, including down pipes and water pipes.

Rebates of $1500 are available on rainwater tanks over 2000 litres from the NSW State Government and the Federal Government.

www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebates/ www.environment.gov.au/water/programs/nrgi

water supply

sewerage main

pump

6 G R e y WAt e RThis is a great option for supplementing gardenwateringbecauseitdoesn’trelyondrinkingwaterandisn’taffectedbywaterrestrictions.However,itdoesneedtobemanagedcarefully.

Water can be recycled from your shower and washing machine but because it containssomebacteria,detergents,

3 Install a greywater diversion device that has a WaterMark licence and is listed by NSW Health

3 Reuse diverted untreated greywater only for subsurface irrigation (at least 10cm below the surface)

3 Select garden friendly detergeants that are biodegradeable and low in phosphorus, sodium, boron and chloride

3 Wash your hands after using greywater

3 Stop using greywater if odours are generated and plants do not appear to be healthy

3 Stop using greywater during wet periods

Do

7 Leave a diversion device on all the time

7 Store untreated greywater7 Reuse greywater on fruit trees,

vegetables and plants that will be eaten raw

7 Let greywater go beyond the property boundary or cause a nuisance in any way

7 Don’t use greywater from the bathroom or kitchen

DoN’t

GReyWAteRdo’SANddoN’tS

3 7

cleaningagentsandwastematerial,itisn’tsuitableforallgardenuses.

The best guide for using greywater in and around the household is the NSWGuidelinesforGreywater Reuseinsewered,singlehouseholdresidential premises available at www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au

The most basic and popular greywater system for the garden is the humble bucket.Fortunatelywaterrestrictionsdonotapplywhenusingabucketforwateringyourgardenwithgreywater.Bucketsareagoodideaforwateringyourgardenbedsbutshouldbeusedwithcaution.Afull10litrebucketweighs10kilogramsandcanbedifficulttomanage,especiallyfortheelderly.

Neverleavegreywaterinanycontainerformorethan24hours.

Diverting greywater

divertedgreywatercanonlybeusedfor subsurface irrigation and where there is only one dwelling on the block (not townhouse,villasormulti-unitdwellings).

theNSWgovernmentwebsitewww.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au fact sheet number two advises there are two types of diversion device systems available: gravitydiversionandpumpdiversion.Both types must have the following features to be exempt from council approval:

•Watermarklicence(previouslyaplumbingSafetylicence).

•Anoverflowtosewer.

•Forpumpdiversiondevices,someform of non-storage tank to help smooth surges (the surge tank does not operate as a storage tank but a temporaryholdingtank).

G R e y WAt e R

•Ahandactivatedvalve,switchortapthat provides easy access to divert greywaterforreuse,ortosewer,asrequired.

Alicensedplumbermustinstallalldiversion device systems and notify the local water utility in writing of the system’sinstallation.

Alistoflicenseddevicescanbe foundontheNSWHealthwebsiteat www.health.nsw.gov.au.therearea number of products available from yourlocalgardencentre,hardwareorplumbingshop.

ifyoudivertfromthewashingmachinemake sure it is final rinse water and youdon’tputtoomuchpressureonyour pump by diverting it over a long distanceoruphill.

WA N t to K N oW m o R eFor additional information about greywater systems visit the savewater!® website at www.savewater.com.au or find a useful case study comparing six greywater systems by the Alternative technology Associations at www.smartwater.com.au

ForfurtherinformationonNSWgreywaterguidelinespleasevisit www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au

treating and re-using greywater from single households

There are systems available which you can choose to treat and store your greywater and use it as a long-term valuableresource.

These systems treat greywater to a standard so it can be stored indefinitely andusedinsidethehouse,butnotforhumanconsumption.thesesystemsareusuallypricedatmorethan$5,000,mustbecertifiedbyNSWHealthandinstalledbyalicensedplumber.Approvalisalsorequiredfromyourlocalcouncil. Aseptictankpermitfromyourlocalcouncilisalsorequired.

sewerage main

overflow

greywater system

Althoughthismayseemanexpensivealternative,apermanentgreywaterdiversion system provides your home withaconstantsupplyofusablewater,unlikerainwater,whichisseasonal.youcanusethistreatedwatertorefillyourtoilet(14percentofnormalhousehold use) all year round or supply yourwashingmachine(16percentofnormalhouseholduse).Generallyifyouplantousethiswateronthegarden,thetreated water needs to be connected to sub-surfaceirrigationsystems.

drip system

G R e y WAt e R

7 WAt e R W i S ep R Ac t i S e

There are four key things to remember about reducing water use:

•mulch

•dripirrigation

•Wettingagentsandwaterstorageproducts for your soil

•drought-tolerantplants.

Andsomesimpleyethighlyeffectivetips:

•don’twaterinthemiddleoftheday,inwindyconditions,orifrainislikely

•makeasmalldamfrommulchandsoil to avoid water running off the soil

•Watertherootsofplantsratherthantheleaves,reducingwindsprayandevaporation

•coolseasongrassesshouldbeleftlongerinSummerbutwarmseasongrasses(couch,buffalo)canbekeptshort

•Avoidcuttinggrassbymorethanathird of its length at any one time

•ReplacestrugglingplantsinAutumnwith drought-tolerant species

8 R e v i e W yo u Rp ot p l A N tS

outdoorplantsinpotsusealotmorewaterthanplantsintheground.theyaremoreexposedtosunandwind,onlyhave a small amount of potting mix to storewaterinandtheydryoutfaster.

ifyouneedtominimisewaterforyourgarden,onesolutionistoreduceyourpotplants.cuttingsandnurseryplantsshouldbeputintothegroundinAutumn.potplantsonterracesandsmallspacesthat you really love should be collectedtogether out of the wind and preferably inshadeoverSummer.thiswillreducenotonlythewateryouuse,butthetimeyouneedtospendwatering.

The biggest problem with pot plants and raised beds is the soil drying out and becomingresistanttowater.Wettingagents can reduce pot watering by 50percentandwaterstorageproducts(see next page) in the soil will also extendperiodsbetweenwatering.

When you water put the entire pot into abucketorcontainerofwater,leavingit until no more bubbles come from the potting mix and then taking it out andlettingitdrain,ideallybackintoacontainer so the excess water can be re-used.

therightplant,forexampleasucculent,in good quality potting mix with soil additives,mulchandaglazedpotwilltolerate extended dry periods and can lookfantastic.

oneoftheproblemswithsoilthathasdriedoutisitrepelswater,wastingthepreciouswateryouputonit.Soilwettingagents and water retention products candramatically improve the success of newplantings and water absorption in yourgarden,particularlyifitisalreadyverydry.

Water crystals absorb water and roots can access this as the soil around driesout.Wettingagentsenablewaterto soak in and also hold water in the rootzone.

9 S o i l A d d i t i v e S

Anearliertipadviseswateringyourplant’srootsratherthantheleaves.This raises an issue about the efficiency of irrigation systems including sprayirrigationsystems,whichemitwater abovethegroundsurface,ordrippersystems,whichemitwateratorbelowthegroundsurface.

Approximately25percentofgardenshavesprayirrigationsystems.However,drip systems are more effective as no wateriscarriedawaybythewind,theydon’tcauseoversprayandpreventexcesssurfaceevaporation.

Asdiscussedearlier,westronglyrecommend mulch for water-savinggardens.unfortunately,asprayirrigationsystem operating above fine mulch willwaterthemulchratherthantheplants, so much of the water is likely to be lost toevaporation,orabsorbedbythemulchratherthanthesoilbelow.

10 i R R i GAt i o N

There are products that allow conversion ofspraysystemstodripsystems. This can be achieved by removing thesprayrisersandinserting6mmdriplinesintheirplace.

Water restrictions only apply to mainsdrinkingwater.youcanuseyourrainwater or greywater quite efficientlywith available technology and they are notaffectedbywaterrestrictions.

However,becarefulaboutusinggreywater in drip systems unless it has beenwellfiltered.ifthegreywaterisnotfiltered,itislikelytheirrigationsystemswillblockupveryquickly.Greywatermust be applied by subsurface drip systemsonly.

i R R i GAt i o N

There are many irrigation systems available to purchaseandinstall.thislistprovides a guide to some ofthemostpopularones. Allarecompatiblewithexistingirrigationpipesizes.We suggest you seek the adviceofahorticulturist,irrigation specialist or green gardener when planning to installanirrigationsystem.

WAteR WeepeRS/poRouS hoSeS

Simple,poroushosethatsweatswateroutalongitslength.ideallylaidbelowmulchin small trenches it can also be laid above groundincontactwiththesoil,butbestnotlaidontopofmulch.

Flow rates are likely to vary over the length of the hose in uneven terrain and dependingonyourwaterpressure.

thehosescanbecombinedwithafilter,flowregulatorandpressureregulator.

Vo

LuM

e

Flow rates are measured by the volume ofwaterinlitresemittedeveryhour,permetreofhose.

pReS

SuRe

These systems are generally designed to operateatlowpressure60-100Kpa.

mostsystemswillneedapressureregulator.

DRippeR SySteMS DiGitAL tiMeRS

Hoseswithin-linedrippersatregular intervals should be placed abovegroundandbelowmulch.

importantlythesearealsoavailable in 4mm versions that can be used to retrofit existing spray systems by removing the risersandinsertingdriptubes.

Someproductshaveaninlinepressureregulatorandfilter.mostproductsarenotpressurecompensated so there may be somevariationinflowratesbased.

digitaltimersensureyoudonotwater for unnecessarily long times and can be programmed in line with water restrictions (unless you have rainwater or greywater).

Arainsensororasoilmoisturesensor should be attached to thedigital timer to ensure efficientandeffectivewatering.

Flow rates vary from 4-10litresperhourpermetre.

These systems are generally designed to operate at low pressure60-100Kpa.

Apressureregulatorwillberequired.

vegetablegardensandfruittreesareanimportantaspectofmanygardens.inadditiontoprovidingasourceof food they reduce transport costsfor food provision and recycle householdwastethroughcompost. Asfortherestofthegardenthekeytoolsaremulch,dripirrigation,soiladditivesandgoodplantselection.There is an interesting range of relativelydrought-tolerantfoodplants.

youshouldmulchvegetablegardensand if you use pea straw it will alsokeep your plants cooler and improveyoursoil,butyouwillneedtoreplaceitregularly.yourirrigationsystemwill have to make allowances fordiggingandsoilrenewal.Aremovableweeping hose under mulch canworkwell.Adjustabledripperstoindividual plants mean that you can turn the dripper up as plants grow and turn it off once the vegetable is harvested.

11 v e G e tA B l e GA R d e N SA N d F R u i t t R e e S

Fruit trees should be mulched and watered withadrippersystem.usinggoodqualitysoil and maintaining healthy plant stock will mean the plants need less water and willbemorediseaseresistant.

inverydryconditionsanddependingonwater restrictions you might just addmanure or compost in preparation for thenextcrop.Forfruittreesmulchwellandconsider some early pruning to reducewaterdemand.

considerusingwaterfromarainwatertank for your vegetable garden orfruit trees as this water is not affected bywaterrestrictions.

www.savewater.com.au Aone-stop-shopforwaterconservation.

www.ngina.com.au The peak body for the nursery and garden industryinNewSouthWales.

www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au NewSouthWalesgreywaterguidelines.

www.bom.nsw.gov.auWeatherforecastinformation.

www.sgaonline.org.au AttheSustainableGardeningAustralia site you can find advice on mulch to plantselectionandgreywatersystems. AlsoincludesaddressesofcertifiedSustainableGardencentres.

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