The summer season is often a scorcher in Western Australia. Yet that doesn’t mean you have to let your gardens shrivel up, turn to brown, dry up and die.
On the contrary, there are a few things you can do when it comes to watering your garden, to maintain its beauty.
Interested to see how you can keep your garden alive this summer while still being water wise?
Read more from the Perth irrigation experts at LHP Landscaping + Joel Irrigation for 7 tips and tricks for watering your garden this summer.
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Apply good-quality mulch
A fresh layer of mulch, around 50-75mm thick, applied to your garden beds can greatly reduce the levels of moisture lost to evaporation.
This translates to less watering needs for your garden.
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Use rich, smart soil
As with anything, cheaper is rarely better. So, don’t skimp out on the soil quality if you want a beautifully enriched garden this summer, and all year round.
A rich, smart soil ensures any water entering, via irrigation or reticulation, is better retained and less likely to be completely evaporated by the sun.
Between the limited watering days in summer, your outdoor plants can continue to use the water in your rich, smart soil to grow, instead of struggling to find a precious water source.
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Remove pesky weeds
Nobody loves weeds popping up here, there or everywhere in their gardens. Not only do they look unattractive, but they compete with your plants for nutrients, space and of course, water present in the soil.
Now is the perfect time (morning, or night – not in the peak of the summer sun), to:
- Remove any and all weed growing around your pots
- Lawn
- Garden beds
Don’t let weeds became the dominant feature in your garden.
Too time poor?
Organise garden maintenance to take the stress out of maintaining your garden.
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Plant waterwise plants
Planting waterwise plants in your garden will conveniently and cost-effectively reduce the amount of water needed for your garden to thrive.
Here are some beautiful waterwise plant ideas:
- Coastal Wattle (Acacia lasiocarpa)
- Common Everlasting (Chrysocephalum apiculatum)
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon Kings Park Special)
- NSW Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum)
Forget to water on your rostered watering day?
Don’t worry – with waterwise plants, it’s hardly the end of the world.
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Protect new plants with a shade sail
Consider protecting your newly planted additions with a shade cloth.
A 50% shade cloth erected for only a couple of weeks can really help your new veggies or seedlings to establish, reducing the amount of water evaporated by the summer sun.
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Abide by rostered watering days and be waterwise
As touched on previously, every Australian household has two watering days during summer, allowing residents to water once on those days before 9am or after 6pm.
You can find out your watering days through the Water Corporation website.
Remember the following:
- Don’t overwater
- Use cool, hose water
- And water the soil, not just the leaves.
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Maintain your reticulation and irrigation systems
Arguably the most important tip here, is to keep your reticulation and irrigation systems maintained.
A professional Perth irrigation and reticulation technician exist to assist.
Need expert help from a Perth irrigation and reticulation technician?