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Water Wise Gardening

Up to 30% of water at home gets wasted in the garden when water is not being able to penetrate the soil deeply, lack of mulch allows evaporation, inefficient irrigation and bad garden design.

Download the Information Booklet below for further details on creating your own sustainable garden.

Water Saving Tips

  • After you have watered dig down to see how far it has penetrated, it should be at least 10cm.
  • Install a large water tank (3,000 litres of water in a tank for summer watering is ideal.)
  • Check and clean your irrigation system every spring.
  • Mulch all your garden beds and pots. Mulch made from recycled organics is a great water saving product.
  • Water pots and plants with a low pressure on the hose. The water should be running slowly, not on a spray, as this does not penetrate very deeply. Micro-sprays waste up to 70% water through drift and evaporation and if the soil is mulched, water will not penetrate to the soil.
  • Use a tough drought tolerant grass like ‘Sir Walter Buffalo’; a native grass such as Microlaena stipoides, or a native groundcover like Myoporum parvifolium for the front garden.
  • Check the weather forecast to avoid watering before rain.
  • Follow EPA guidelines when using greywater from the bathroom and laundry.

Further Information

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Sustainable Education & Promotions Coordinator
Phone: (03) 8470 8405
Email: environment@darebin.vic.gov.au

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