Tips to get your garden water wise all year round

IT’S that time of the year again: it’s hot, it’s dry and we all need to be smart with our water usage. With this in mind, the green industry will be pulling together to promote water wise plants and products that help to save water in the garden. These will be marked with the ‘ Water Wise’ logo illustrated here.

A few tips to get your garden water wise and looking wonderful all

E R WEyear round: and of course, the soil is the best place to begin.

We all know the benefits of good composting, but there are one or two tricks that are less wellknown and hugely effective. Kelp- based products such as seamungus or polymer gels such as stockasorb can be incorporated into the soil to vastly improve its water holding capacity, as well as water penetration into the root zone; Saturaid, a granular soil wetter can be sprinkled on the soil surface or incorporated into the soil to improve water penetration while saving up to 50% water; Another kelp-based product is the ‘plant it disc’ for new plantings in the garden, which is simply placed in the planting hole underneath the plant. It serves as a reservoir for moisture as well as promoting root development; and Mulching the surface of the soil has the dual benefit of reducing evaporation and limiting the germination of weed seeds – just what’s needed for a low maintenance, water-wise garden. When it comes to plants, choose plants with the water wise label, but do remember that they only reach their full potential for drought hardiness once their roots have grown into the natural soil, so mulch them well and water deeply after planting.

Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t dry out during the first three months or so – thereafter, watering can be reduced. For example, it should not be necessary to water Tecomas, indigenous Salvias, Freylinia and Polygalas once they’re settled, but when they are young, they need some extra care.

For more information, you can chat to a participating garden centre to gather hints, tips and product recommendations – or spoil yourself and have a water wise, low maintenance garden designed and laid out by a professional landscaper.

Last, but definitely not least, remember to check your garden taps, hosepipes and any irrigation systems for leaks and water in the early morning or late afternoon to limit evaporation.

Green Point Park

Tecoma capensis yellow

Pelargonium Regal “Red Close”

Polygala myrtifolia