Water conservation is high on the environmental to do lists for myself. It is also generally true of all Australians as most Australian states and territories are currently enforcing tight water restrictions due to the effects of a long drought. With my adopted growing technique of pots and tubs I am growing what is quite a thirsty garden. I am though attempting to preserve as much water as possible.
Rain Water Capture
Ideally I would install a large rain water tank or a bank of tanks. However, with the impending move I am not keen to spend on a solution that will not be portable to the new house. So I am currently capturing rainwater on a much smaller scale in a number of strategically placed tubs, polystyrene containers, and buckets. Also, whenever rain is happening I move all the plant tubs and hanging baskets into an area where they will receive a generous drop from the skies. In fact some of my plants have been receiving a drop that is too generous and have been moved around to dry out a bit.
With the recent flukey Sydney weather this has meant that I have not had to use mains supply water for over a month which is good for the garden as rainwater is free of the introduced chemicals for the public water system. It is equally good for my hip pocket as it is free. If only the rain was making inland to the agriculturalists further inland.
Having said that I am not considering the rain water tank idea in the current house, it is very high on the to do list when we do decide on the new premises. I plan on garnishing as much rain water as possible for watering the garden, and potentially for drinking water. Also, high on the agenda will be the recycling of grey water from the laundry and kitchen sink. Again to be used on the garden.
Potting Mix Selection
As any regular reader would know I am very keen on the Rich Gro Pro Mix potting mix. There are four reasons for this.
- Full of good nutrients
- Contains Seasol a plant tonic and conditioner derived from sea weed.
- Contains Osmocote which is a controlled release fertiliser.
- Contains Ezi Wet which is a soil wetting agent.
For the purposes of this article the Ezi Wet component is where it is all at. Basically when the Ezi Wet agent come into contact with water it traps it for later use when the soil drys out. This means the soil always has some moisture in it which is great. This in turn means that if I skip a day that the plants will not go thirsty.
Although you can purchase soil wetting agent separately I believe that it if it is already contained in the potting mix then it is more evenly dispersed, and as such better for the garden. Also, it saves another step in soil preparation.
Mulch
This is the weak point for myself at the moment. I agree though that is essential as not only does it help prevent moisture loss through evaporation it also assists to suppress weeds and as it breaks down also provides nutrients back to the soil, and thus the plants. Mulch is simply a layer of material covering the soil around the base of a plant. Mulch can be organic, or inorganic. Generally though mulch is organic and is often seen in the form of woodchips, bark or straw.
I am awaiting the arrival of my Ryobi Garden Shredder that will make me some top notch woodchip and bark mulch. I have a stack of source material ready to be shredded and the mulch should be fantastic for My Blooming Lot. Between it and the worm juice I should be set for some top notch crops in the new year.
However I have already begun mulching as a layer of leaves can also be considered mulch. Over the last day or so my White Bird of Paradise is now mulched by some of its own damaged fronds and also some damaged fronds from the Standard Bird of Paradise. This mix of leaves and stems has managed to encircle the White Bird of Paradise completely and provide a good mulch layer. Although not to the 7cm depth that is recommended by the Gardening Australia fact sheet on Soil Preparation & Mulch it is a start. Similarly, as I prune to Beefsteak Tomato that threatens to turn into a small tree I am dropping the fresh cuttings into the pot. I am also collecting leaves as they appear from the many eucalypt trees in the area as mulch for the tubs and pots.
I can not wait though for the larger scale mulching as it will also further improve my yard.
I am constantly on the look out for other water conservation techniques for the garden, so if you have some please leave a comment.
Addendum
Humans Let Us All Waste Water is a related article that is very informative and definately worth a read. It pertains to the effects of the washing machine, in particular why a front loader is superior to a top loader.
