Managing Your Garden The Water Wise Way

Despite being the 30th driest nation in the world, most of our gardens are not planned with water conservation in mind. In South Africa, the agricultural industry, which includes plant production, uses over 50% of the country’s water resources, with water losses ranging from 30% to 40%.

Water management is, therefore, very important in the country, and gardeners who water their plants often are not doing their part for the environment. It is now time for gardeners to undertake strategies to maximize water efficiency and embrace water-saving practices to reduce water waste in their gardens.

Saving tips to Water Management in your garden

1. Understanding your soil type 

Understanding the soil type in your garden will minimize runoff and maximize water retention. Compacted soil reduces porosity and water-holding capacity and occurs most frequently on clay soil.

Sandy soils absorb water quickly, so water with a strong flow rate. Also, water more frequently, as water passes through sandy soil quickly. Increase soil water retention by adding lots of organic matter, such as compost. Loamy soils are best as they hold water around plant roots. Water with a moderate flow rate, but less frequently than sandy soils. 

2. Installing permeable paving 

Increase water holding capacity by installing permeable paving to let rainwater seep through the subsurface beneath pathways and other hard surfaces. Using compost as a mulch can reduce watering by up to 70%.

Permeable paving is a maintenance-free gardening option which requires no annual planting, no watering, and no fertilising! If this style of gardening suits you, consider installing more paved areas in your garden, for example, a driveway, an entertainment area around the pool, a patio extension or replacing the lawn in areas of heavy usage such as alleyways. 

3. Consider the slope of the garden 

Gardens situated on steep slopes are more vulnerable to downslope flooding. As the rainy season approaches, the natural topography of the garden can also be used to capture rainwater and divert it to storage tanks for use during dry periods. 

4. Plant groupings (hydrozoning) 

Grouping plants with similar water requirements together is essential to achieve effective zoning. Zoning is not only done when new gardens are designed but can be applied to existing gardens by moving plants in their dormant period to a more appropriate zone. 

Zoning the garden can be applied to any size garden, from a balcony to a town house garden, to a garden of a few acres. What changes is the scale and size of the individual zones (three pots on a balcony could have plants from each zone, as would a large garden have three different zones).

A water wise garden is a wise investment, resulting in reduced maintenance, longterm sustainability and reduced budget. 

5. Efficient watering systems 

South Africa’s summers are expected to become hotter and drier, with extreme weather events such as freak storms and flash floods becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. Deep soakings encourage roots to grow downwards and utilize moisture deep in the ground.

The plants are then more drought resistant. Ensure that water reaches the expected root depth – 20 cm for lawns, vegetables and herbs; 60-90 cm for trees and shrubs (taken down by capillary action).

Allow the top 8-10 cm of soil to dry out before watering again. When planting a tree, place a water pipe from the base of the tree roots to just above the soil surface. Watering into this pipe will take the water directly to the tree roots and encourage deep rooting. 

6. Applying mulch 

Mulching has numerous advantages for water conservation and plant health. In addition to lowering evaporation, it also stabilizes soil temperature, which is good for root development and soil organisms and inhibits weed germination and growth by limiting light penetration to the soil surface. The nutrients in organic mulch are released into the soil gradually.