While you can only use an hour's worth of tap water on your garden a week other water supplies are available.
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Gardening expert Reg Kidd shows you how to make the alternatives work.
GREY WATER
Untreated grey water can be applied to the root area of plans if care is taken to use low-sodium and low phosphorous detergents and avoid using kitchen water containing fats or visible solids.
The laundry and the bathroom, but not the toilet, are the best sources of grey water.
Cr Kidd said if you are applying grey water through an irrigation system, use underground drippers.
Grey water diverters and filtering systems are available. Refer to your council, a plumber or an irrigation specialist for advice.
TOP TIPS
- Don't use grey water on edible plants
- Try to spread the application of grey water around different parts of the garden
- Allow grey water to cool before using on your garden
- Apply grey water at ground level
- Allow grey water to percolate through mulch to remove any solid matter
- If applying grey water through a watering system make sure its is below the surface
- Do not store grey water in tanks or other containers
- Do not allow grey water to run off your land.
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TANK TALK
- You probably need at least a 2000-litre tank for a small garden and up to 5000 litres for larger gardens
- If space is a problem you could go for options including bladder tanks that fit horizontally under your house
- You can also go for water walls that fit vertically outside your house
- Water tanks come in many shapes and sizes even bright colours for the design-conscious
- You can also look at underground tanks if you have the room
- Pick the biggest size you can afford to buy or can fit on your property.
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WATER SAVERS
- Try water-storing crystals for your plants
- Anti-transpirants such as Droughtshield can be sprayed over plants to provide a thin film of polymer, a flexible over-coating, that allows the plant to function normally but protects it from sunburn and reduces water loss by transpiration by up to 50 per cent.
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- Mulching is vital. Different mulches should be put on at various thicknesses
- Course mulches can be put on six-centimetres thick, medium mulches 4cm and fine mulches 2cm thick.
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
