
Summer is here, which means warmer days for all of us, and drier days for many of us too.
The planet is getting hotter. The gaps between heatwaves are getting shorter. It's getting more challenging to garden in the extremes of an Australian summer.
Rainfall is good news - if you can get it to where you need it, and save it for when it stops falling.
Summer's the season when plants need a little help from us - especially if the weather forecast is sunshine all the way.
There are simple things you can do that make a difference to your garden; and the more you can do, the more difference you'll make. Reduce the stress on your plants, reduce the amount of time you spend watering.Here's forty of our water-saving, hot-weather-gardening tips to help you make a start.
Individually we are one drop. Together we are an ocean.
Ryunosuke Satoro
Water Right
- Water at the base of the plant, into the soil above the roots, not over the top of the foliage. This gets the water where it's useful, and reduces the risk of fungal infections.
- Give plants a good deep soak every few days, rather than a light splash every day. This encourages deeper roots, and more resilient plants
- Water plants first that hate drying out - like azaleas, salads and veggies - and those that can't regenerate leaves from old wood. Then do the hardier ones if you have time or water left
- Leave plants that can recover from drought, even if you have to cut them hard back at the end of summer. Some plants may drop leaves to conserve water; this is natural and can be remedied once the rains return.
- Water windy and exposed sites more often. More wind = more water evaporation. (And choose wind-resilient plants)
- Install soaker/seep hoses alongside precious or thirsty plants to trickle water to the roots
- Water the garden in early morning, water your pots in late afternoon, when it's cooler, to reduce evaporation
- Water only where it's needed. Break regular habits; check if all the plants need a water, or if some can wait a day or two.
- Poke your finger into the soil to see how dry it is lower down, not just at the surface.
- Stop fertilising in really hot weather - just like us, plants don't want a rich hearty meal when it's 40°C
Water Easy
- Sink empty unglazed terracotta pots next to thirsty plants, with the rim just above the soil. Fill the pot with water, and it will seep out gradually. If yours has a drainage hole, seal it with a plastic disc and bath caulk.
Called 'olla', this technique has been used for centuries - Poke small holes around the neck of a plastic bottle. Fill with water, screw the cap on, bury it spout-down next to your plant. The water will seep through the perforations into the soil
- Add chopped up kitchen sponge to planters and baskets. It will absorb water and release it when it's needed
- Use water-retaining gels in your pots and planters to soak up precious moisture for later
- Choose pots with a built-in water reservoir in the base
Water Smart
- Fit water butts and rain barrels on downpipes to save that valuable rain. (With a lid, to keep the water clear and the bugs and leaves out).
Sheep station water tanks : denisbin - Use cooking water from pasta and vegies in the garden - once it's cooled, of course!
- Make sure that water stays in the plant pot by adding wetting agent (like eco-hydrate) to help the compost absorb the liquid
- Check the weather - don't water on Tuesday evening if a storm is forecast Thursday morning
- When you're planting, dig the hole, fill it with water, let it drain, Repeat, then plant.
Garden Right
- Mulch generously with organic matter - compost, grass cuttings, leaf mould, cane straw.
This traps water, and cools and shades the soil to reduce evaporation - Cover as much soil as you can with groundcover plants - they act as living mulch to cool the soil and trap any rain or dew where it can be used.
- Swap hard surfaces for porous ones - gravel, permeable pavers, grasses and groundcovers - to let water run down through the soil and not off into the street
- Pick fruits and vegies daily; it gives the plant a break from directing water to its crops, and it can use it for its roots and shoots instead
- Weed early, weed often - so when you water, it goes to your plants, not the weeds you don't want!
- Plant horizontally across slopes to slow down the run of surface water. Terrace steeper slopes to stop rainshowers turning into waterfalls.
- Create a 'waffle garden' - scoop out a grid of lower areas of soil, surrounded by higher ridges to keep the water in. Like a potato waffle!
- Supersize this technique with curved walls like the Lanzarote vineyards do, as windbreaks and water capture
- Plant fast-growing vines and climbers over trellis to create seasonal areas of cooling shade
- Create natural windbreaks and shelter areas through the garden; with open fencing, tall grasses, bushy small trees, and green hedges
Garden Easy
- Cut down on hedge clipping - it encourages fresh growth, which needs more water
- Raise the cutters on your mower and mow less often- longer grass shades its own roots, meaning less evaporation; taller grass has deeper roots which won't dry out as fast
- Throw a net curtain over an umbrella frame or hills hoist, for instant emergency shade for young or vulnerable plants
- Use the chop-&-drop technique when pruning : chop it off the plant, chop it into bits, drop it on the soil. Instant mulch for your borders!
- Bury organic garden waste in holes, then plant around the area with vegetables
Garden Smart
- Work with Mother Nature - choose fancy varieties of local plants, and plants from similar climates around the world, that will thrive effortlessly in your climate
- Locate plants where your own garden microclimate suits them best - a plant in the right place is less stressed
- Choose waterwise plants that aren't thirsty - small leaves, silver leaves, waxy leaves, and hairy leaves are good signs
- Choose drought-tolerant plants that can regenerate like Doctor Who, after a dry spell
- Plant a tree. More shade for your plants. More homes for insects, birds, animals. More oxygen for the planet