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How Do I... Keep My Garden Alive in a Drought?
A horticulturist shares eight practical tips to keep your garden healthy during the season's tough water restrictions
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. Here, Flower Power horticulturist Octavia Jones reveals eight water-wise ways to maintain your garden during the big dry.
Why do I need to keep my garden healthy?
Plants are a crucial resource for the environment, playing a key role in stabilising the ecosystem. Not only do they release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, they also provide wildlife with habitats, create shade, and play an important role in the water cycle.
Plants help reduce stress, purify the air and are important during all climate conditions – especially during times of drought.
While reducing water usage is important, there are still ways to maintain your garden. Here’s how:
Plants are a crucial resource for the environment, playing a key role in stabilising the ecosystem. Not only do they release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, they also provide wildlife with habitats, create shade, and play an important role in the water cycle.
Plants help reduce stress, purify the air and are important during all climate conditions – especially during times of drought.
While reducing water usage is important, there are still ways to maintain your garden. Here’s how:
1. Water early
Watering plants earlier in the morning (before 7am) will reduce evaporation in the heat of the day and give plants the most benefits throughout the day.
Need expert help with your garden during the drought? Find a local gardener on Houzz
Watering plants earlier in the morning (before 7am) will reduce evaporation in the heat of the day and give plants the most benefits throughout the day.
Need expert help with your garden during the drought? Find a local gardener on Houzz
2. Be efficient
When watering with a bucket or watering can (before 10am or after 4pm), make sure you water directly on the root zone at the stem of the plant. It’s also important to water plants deeply and less often as it helps strengthen water uptake and teaches plants to expect less water.
When watering with a bucket or watering can (before 10am or after 4pm), make sure you water directly on the root zone at the stem of the plant. It’s also important to water plants deeply and less often as it helps strengthen water uptake and teaches plants to expect less water.
3. Avoid watering foliage
Watering a plant’s root zone instead of its foliage not only helps reduce the evaporation of water, it also helps prevent pests and diseases.
True-Blue Native Plants That Do Us Proud
Watering a plant’s root zone instead of its foliage not only helps reduce the evaporation of water, it also helps prevent pests and diseases.
True-Blue Native Plants That Do Us Proud
4. Install drip irrigation and a timer tap
While a competent DIYer can install a drip-irrigation system for about $50 for a 1 x 2-metre garden bed, it pays to hire a professional for best results.
Installing a timer tap on your drip-irrigation system will ensure efficient watering at designated times – meaning no wasted water (or money) and consistent watering for healthy plants.
While a competent DIYer can install a drip-irrigation system for about $50 for a 1 x 2-metre garden bed, it pays to hire a professional for best results.
Installing a timer tap on your drip-irrigation system will ensure efficient watering at designated times – meaning no wasted water (or money) and consistent watering for healthy plants.
5. Add a health tonic for plants
Adding a seaweed solution to your watering can or bucket will help plants retain water and keep them hydrated for longer. As a guide, you’ll need to use about a capful (20 to 30 millilitres) of seaweed solution for every nine litres of water.
Adding a seaweed solution to your watering can or bucket will help plants retain water and keep them hydrated for longer. As a guide, you’ll need to use about a capful (20 to 30 millilitres) of seaweed solution for every nine litres of water.
6. Keep water in the soil
Once your soil is nice and moist, the key is to keep that moisture in the root zone where your plants need it. Water crystals expand to hundreds of times their size when they come in contact with water, forming a water-holding gel that will help your plants withstand dry periods. Once you’ve applied the water crystals to your garden, they will last several years before they biodegrade.
You could also use a drought shield, which creates a flexible polymer film over foliage, preventing water transpiration and loss by up to 50 percent so you can water less often.
Once your soil is nice and moist, the key is to keep that moisture in the root zone where your plants need it. Water crystals expand to hundreds of times their size when they come in contact with water, forming a water-holding gel that will help your plants withstand dry periods. Once you’ve applied the water crystals to your garden, they will last several years before they biodegrade.
You could also use a drought shield, which creates a flexible polymer film over foliage, preventing water transpiration and loss by up to 50 percent so you can water less often.
7. Lay mulch
Mulching is an essential step for any garden – not only does it finish everything off visually, it’s vital for keeping your soil moist and cool. Mulch will help your garden get the most out of every drop of water, with natural wetting agents providing increased holding capacity.
Ground Force: Top 10 Ground Covers for Your Garden
Mulching is an essential step for any garden – not only does it finish everything off visually, it’s vital for keeping your soil moist and cool. Mulch will help your garden get the most out of every drop of water, with natural wetting agents providing increased holding capacity.
Ground Force: Top 10 Ground Covers for Your Garden
8. Choose drought-resistant plants
Select plants that can thrive with limited water for your garden – for example bottlebrush, frangipani and iris.
Select plants that can thrive with limited water for your garden – for example bottlebrush, frangipani and iris.
Your turn
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Want more garden advice for a challenging season? Be sure to read: How Do I… Fireproof My Outdoor Area in 8 Easy Steps?
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Want more garden advice for a challenging season? Be sure to read: How Do I… Fireproof My Outdoor Area in 8 Easy Steps?
The new restrictions come into effect in Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains in NSW on 10 December 2019.
If you live in one of these areas, this is what the restrictions mean: