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The following hints and products aims to help you conserve water in your garden. Prepare in the winter and beat the dry weather with a drought friendly garden.
Remember that as well as avoiding waste, every litre you save at any time of year helps to reduce the size of your carbon footprint. This is because quite a lot of resources, including energy for pumping, are used in the treatment of water and delivery to your tap.
Mulch and compost products are available from Hamilton Organic Centre and many garden centres and landscape supply centres.
The other fittings and tools listed are available from garden centres and hardware stores. |
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Mulch is magic on the garden and greatly reduces watering needed on garden beds and vegetable gardens. The compost mulch pictured is available at the Hamilton Organic Centre for $15 a trailer load.
Mulch needs to be topped up every year or two and greatly improves plant and soil health, as well as reducing loss of nutrients into the atmosphere and ultimately into groundwater by increasing the organic matter content of your soil.
Compost is finer than mulch and can also be added to soil and top dressed onto your lawn. |
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Many garden taps are old and leak, often out the top of the tap when the tap is connected to a hose and turned on. Old taps can also be difficult to turn off and may continue to drip. A new tap costs less than $10 and is easy to install with basic tools.
Staff at your hardware or plumbing supply store will be able to supply thread tape and advise you. |
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Use trigger attachments to avoid running water where it's not needed. Spend around $20 for a fitting which won't leak or break. Remember to also turn the hose off at the tap when you've finished watering. |
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Get rid of leaks in your hose fittings by replacing washers and making sure hose fittings are tight. O rings are usually black (visible on the bottom of the timer in the picture below) but orange in the picture to the left. O rings fit on the tap adapter or appliance side of the plastic clip together fittings. The tap adapter screws onto your garden tap and is also found on the trigger fitting. After a few years of use these can crack and split causing leaks at the join between hose and tap or hose and fitting. Also check that there is a rubber washer in the tap adapter fitting and that it is firmly tightened onto the tap. |
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Mechanical timers like this one neverforget to turn the tap off. Just set it for 30 minutes or as long as you need to water and walk away. These timers sometimes do not work at very low pressure so its best to turn you tap on fully and water for a shorter time.
Mechanical timers cost around $25. Automatic timers are also available for $80 to $100 and will turn your water on and off at intervals of your choice. Remember that watering systems often waste water so if you install a watering system where possible use seeper hoses and only water where its needed. If possible plants should be grouped together according to their water requirements. |
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It is easy to over-water your garden, wasting water and leaching nutrients from your soil. Moisture meters will check the moisture level where you need it; below the soil surface. If soil is too hard to push the probe in, you need more organic matter worked into the soil.
Cost around $25. |
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Use a bucket and sponge to minimise the use of your hose when washing the car, or better still...leave it dirty! Hamilton City Council avoids washing work vehicles during dry periods.
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Use a broom and not a hose to sweep paths and driveways. Wait for dirt to dry before sweeping it off.
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Contact
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City Waters
Level 5, Council Offices
Garden Place
Hamilton City Council
Private Bag 3010
Hamilton 3240
Phone: 838 6999
Fax: 838 6988
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