Episode: Five
Date: 2nd May
Story: Waterwise Watering
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

You don?t have to be a gardening genius to be water-wise; all it takes is a little thought and consideration. Trevor reveals some tips to have your garden working as water efficiently as possible throughout the winter months.

Water Corporation

• The Water Corporation aims to provide sustainable water services around Western Australia.
• They provide ?world-class water and wastewater services to thousands of households, businesses and farms?.
• They also maintain drainage and irrigation services for residential and commercial properties.

Being Waterwise Hints and Tips

• The key is working with nature; by planting our gardens in autumn when the first rains start, rather than in spring when the rain season is almost finished.
• Adding absorbency crystals, such as Seaweed extract impregnated crystal, into the hole when planting ensures that water stays around the plants roots, rather than sinking below.
• Therefore, it is important to apply a wetting agent during autumn. New technology has resulted in good agents which only need to be applied once every 2 years.
• At this time of year, there is no need to be running irrigation systems on a regular cycle.
• It is important to turn off your irrigation system until September, or at least switch it to rain mode.
• If you have a couple of weeks without rainfall, then turn your irrigation system onto manual on your watering day.
• This is all your garden needs as there is enough moisture around from rainfall and dew at night for them to sustain themselves.

Soil Tips and Facts

• Significant winter rainfall will soak soils, but you need to make sure water sinks quickly and evenly through the soil reaching all the roots of the plant.
• This is necessary as many people are seeing foliage stressed and applying water still when it just doesn?t need to go on the garden.
• Any extra water applied now is wasted and chances are there will still be dry pockets in your soil where the plants roots lay.

Contact
Water Corporation
Waterwise Helpline

P: 13 10 39

Call this number for-

• Watering days and information
• Water saving tips
• Reporting a breach of water restrictions
• Waterwise brochures for the home and garden

Customer Correspondence
Locked Bag 2
Osborne Park Delivery Centre
WA 6916

Fax: 9423 7722

Email: cust_centre@watercorporation.com.au

Head Office
629 Newcasttle Street
Leederville WA 6007
P: 08 9420 2420

Website: www.watercorporation.com.au