Water Saving Tips

The "User Pays" principle and the introduction of water restrictions now mean that more gardeners are becoming water wise. Here are some gardening tips, which will save water and money.

• Improve the soil by adding organic matter. Soils with high organic matter are able to absorb and hold moisture and nutrients, whilst containing the right structure for healthy root growth.

• Mulching to aid water retention in the soil. Make sure you spread a thick layer of mulch, at least 7.5cm thick is ideal.

• Plant windbreaks and shade-providing trees to prevent the evaporation of water from the soil and excessive transpiration of water from plant foliage.

• When planting, zone plants according to their similar irrigation requirements and choose the ideal microclimate to enable them to grow vigorously.

• Select indigenous species which are suited to the local rainfall; or drought tolerant plants. Some examples would be grasses, legumes, certain perennials and succulents. These plants all contain features which enable them to continue growing during dry periods. Planting for less water use is known as Xeriscaping.

• Irrigate and fertilise less when the plant is not growing actively. Unless specified, use fertilizer that is low in nitrogen (to reduce the sappy, soft shoot growth) and high in potassium, or potash, to encourage strong root development.

• Reduce the amount of lawn that you have. Try alternatives, such as hardy ground covers, widen existing garden beds or use another material such as gravel.

• Collect and use rainwater and greywater for use in the garden.

• Weed regularly and compost the weeds. Weeds take up moisture that could be used by other plants. Top dressing the soil with compost improves the soil and helps retain more moisture.

• Utilise natural drainage patterns in the garden. Plant areas depending on the specific conditions occuring in that position. Eg. Do not plant shade plants in full sun, or plants that require good drainage in the lowest and wettest spot in the garden. You can experiment with contouring of the ground surface to channel water to certain areas.

• Widen garden beds. This increases the volume of soil able to hold moisture for greater access to plant roots. This is especially important in areas next to walls and fences and underneath eaves. Only the most drought hardy plant can survive in a 30cm wide bed next to a high wall or fence.

• When installing irrigation, consider using products which will still deliver water to the plant but at a slower rate. Use devices such as drippers, shrublers, microsprays and seeping hoses. A seeping hose underneath a mulch layer is a very effective method of delivering water to the plant roots with little waste from run off or evaporation.

• Water early in the morning or in the evening to reduce wastage from evaporation. Only apply water to the soil, not the foliage unless the plant requires high humidity such as ferns. Understand the watering needs of the plant. Plants do not require much water when they are dormant, and some require little water as the weather cools down (eg. Tropical plants, succulents and cacti).

Bulleen Art & Garden displays

Bulleen Art & Garden has a display of water tanks and greywater systems and a consultant can talk to you about how to set these up for your own garden. If you would prefer a consutancy in your garden please see the consultants section of the website for bookings and costs. We also have information for many plants which details the water requirements so that you can make an informed choice when selecting plants for your garden.

Your Water Saving Tips!

It's not only our staff that are the experts when it comes to water saving techniques... our customers are full of bright ideas as well. Below are some of the fantastic water saving ideas that have been submitted by our customers. If you have a water saving tip of your own that isn't already mentioned below, drop an email to maria@baag.com.au and we'll feature it here.

Rhonda (Lower Templestowe)

As well as diverting our shower, laundry water, etc. we find that an old fashioned plastic washing up dish in the kitchen sink saves quite a bit of water. For instance, when washing the vegetables, filling the kettle and rinsing off the breakfast cereal, the water is collected in the washing up dish ready for throwing on the garden.

Susan (East Kew)

Recently, I bought a house that has an evaporative air-conditioner. The run off water pipe was directed into a large bucket which had been left by the previous owner. I was amazed at the amount of water discarded by the unit on each of the days that I used the evaporative air-conditioner. This prompted me to have a 2nd rainwater tank (1100L) installed to collect the run off and now, I recycle it into my garden.

I enjoy spending time in the garden no matter what the season as there is always something I can find to do.

I have an enormous Gum Tree growing in my backyard, this and the fact that we are in a drought and need to be water wise, inspired me to redo my entire backyard... including adding 2 water tanks.

I have started creating native garden beds with the intention of turning my backyard into a haven for the abundance of native bird life already in this area. Grevilleas are my favourite and there are so many variations to choose from in the form of small trees and low growing shrubs. Even though my native garden areas are new, I have lots of honey-eaters already visiting and enjoying the nectar from the flowers.

Ellen (Heidelberg)

I keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while it's heating up and while showering. Also in the kitchen sink while I'm washing the vegies, that way all water caught goes on the garden.

Lesley (Alphington)

Yes, there are others (including this family) who only shower twice a week! As my 89-year-old Cornish friend says, in between showers she "does the ABCs" (armpits, bust & crotch). All our shower water goes out on the garden & only environmentally safe hair shampoos are used with vinegar water as a rinse. As to toilets we use the adage "when it's yellow let it mellow, when it's brown flush it down".

However mainly I would like to direct attention to the availability of "laundry balls" for washing clothes. They operate on the principle of ionising the water so clothes release the dirt. They reduce soap scum on clothes & in the washing machine, are better for people with skin problems & it is safe to water the garden with. You can choose not to rinse as it is not necessary, saving huge amounts of water. I attach a length (or two, depending how far I need to go with the water) of grey water 'crinkly' hose to the washing machine outlet & literally water parts of the garden while the washing machine empties. I have established a grove of camellias exclusively using this water for over a year & they are looking good. Other parts of the garden are also lush from this & the shower grey water. For more information go to www.laundryball.com.au on the internet.

I have been using the laundry balls for about 15 months. I originally saw them advertised in Earth Garden magazine. My first test was on smelly socks! Washed them, hung them on the line & stuck my nose in them.....no smell! I also used to get really frustrated with sludge marks on my dark coloured clothes & on sheets. That's not a problem any more. I find it helps to soak the clothes for 15 minutes or so ie I put the clothes & balls in machine, fill, commence the agitation cycle & then pause it for that time. But I think it depends on speed of cycle - clothes are supposed to be in the ionised water for at least 20 minutes. I also think not crowding too many clothes in the washing machine is helpful to get full circulation. To get full benefit, clothes need to be hung out on the line rather than in a dryer though I'm not sure why.

Anyway, I'm happy with my balls - they seem to get things as clean as my low impact washing liquids did - I was never big on harsh detergents which claim whiter than white & brighter than bright. I've tried the stain remover that comes with the balls - it seems to do just as good a job as the 'commercial' stain removers. AND - after extensive consultation with the distributors over the pH factor - I am very happy that the camellias have thrived with it. I felt that was a good test. I now use the wash water throughout the garden, even in the pots occasionally. Most of my pots (there must be hundreds as I am a plantaholic) get water from the tanks.

We also have 2 water tanks that at this stage are used on the garden at the front of the house. I rarely use 'tap water' on the garden unless in a big hurry! If we ever get financial enough next step is a large Rain Reviva tank (3500 litres)under the veranda to connect to toilet & laundry! No space or access for above ground tanks larger than 1000 litres.

I also installed rain savers to other downpipes - you can connect a hose to them & all water falling on roof ends up on the garden. I look forward to seeing other people's water saving tips. Obviously many people will only choose to save water if it is made 'easy' or the price of water increases substantially.

Derek (Preston)

I bought two plastic buckets (@ 85 cents each) from a local hardware outlet. Our household of two uses these buckets to collect water in the shower whilst waiting for the shower to heat up. This water is used to water our vegie garden and to fill a birdbath for our many feathered friends, which reside in our large trees.

Additionally, the buckets are used to collect water from the rinse cycle on our washing machine. This water, we use on our cottage garden (entire front yard). I have enclosed a photo of the cottage garden (right).

Margaret (Donvale)

When you've got a big wash day and more than one load of clothes to put through, save the rinsewater from the first cycle and bucket it back in to the machine for the wash cycle of the next load. Do your whites/lightly coloured clothes first and the darker clothes next. You can save up to 100 litres of water every time you do this. The last lot of rinse water from the final wash can then go out into the garden.

Paul (Prahran)

We re-thought our garden and put the plants with higher water needs closer to the house. That way, the water that is saved in buckets or jugs throughout the day are easy to move outdoors to the pots and other plants that need them - without us using extra water.

Denise (Templestowe)

Can't stand the thought of a whole 3, 6 or more litres of water being flushed away everytime somebody might do a little tinkle in the toilet. We just don't flush until it becomes absolutely necessary. One day my 8-year old son put a notepad behind the toilet door and we had to tick everytime we did a wee: he worked out, in a household of 4 people on a Saturday, we would have used up about 20 lots of 3 litres had we flushed it everytime. Of course, we do flush eventually!

Joseph (Bulleen)

Don't just water out of habit. Make sure the plants really need it first. I did a lot of soil improvement before planting my vegies, adding loads of home-made compost and animal manures and it seems to have made a BIG difference to the water-holding capacity of the soil. There's a lot of mulch used too and the plants seem to be OK despite the lack of consistent rain. Every plant also gets a sprinkle of those water-saving granules to make sure any water doesn't run off the top.

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