Starting out the right way
Story Title: Starting out the right way.
Episode 1: WA's Great Gardens
Date: 3 October 2010
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Western Australia has experienced one of its driest winters ever, so we have to be incredibly waterwise in our gardens this summer. Trevor features expert hints and tips on how to keep your garden alive this season.
Trevor's Tips and Facts
- Gardening in Western Australia is different to anywhere else in the country, possibly the world.
- Our conditions are windy, hot and dry and our soils are not soils, interestingly we have managed to have some of the best gardens in Australia and that's because we've worked hard to be waterwise and understand the climate we are working with.
- The very first thing you need to do is look at your soil. Enriching your soil with composted organics makes the world of difference to the quality of your garden. The soil is like the foundation to your house. Build it up rich with humus and you'll find water stays in and around your plants roots longer.
- When you plant it is very important you add water storage crystals into your soil. This is vital on the sand plains of Perth, particularly if you're beachside or on Bassendean sands. These crystals hold moisture around the roots for up to 2 weeks and you can also get them hydrated with seaweed extract, which reduces transplant shock and stimulates root growth.
- It's also important you select plants carefully, a great source of advice is the Water Corporation
- Check out the 'Waterwise Plants For Perth' guide, it's about to be expanded to plants for WA for those of us not in the metro area. Another source of advice is Waterwise Garden Centres, who have trained staff who are able to advise on what plants will suit any local area.
- When gardening make sure you mulch. The best mulch is one that has been composted although the most important issue is you do lay a 100mm layer of organics over your garden bed now. If you do this you will dramatically reduce water consumption outdoors.
- In WA we have to have reticulation systems if we want a beautiful garden, the majority of plants depend on it. If your system was installed before 2004 it's likely it's using technology that isn't waterwise. This may mean you have micro sprays or pop up sprinklers. Retrofitting your existing system to a system that uses stream throw sprinklers or in line or subsurface irrigation will cut waste and save at least 25% of the water you once used.
- Learn how to Save 6 buckets of water every day www.save6.com.au
Contact
Water Corporation
629 Newcastle Street
Leederville, WA 6007
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