Episode: #1 30/08/06	Proudly Presented by
Presenter: Sue McDougall

q. How do I make my garden water wise? And what effects will the dry winter have on my garden?
The best piece of advice is to turn the reticulation system off. There is enough moisture in the air at night to keep lawns and gardens growing successfully. However, if you have a favourite plant that you feel desperately needs some water don?t reach for the on button, just grab the hose and hand water it. The other thing you need to look at is the type of reticulation system. Gone are the days of old fashioned butterfly sprinklers and overhead sprays. The way of the future is the sub-mulch irrigation system. It can be retro fitted onto an existing system cheaply and really easily. Water is emitted from inline drippers slowly and gets to the plants roots where it is needed. Used in conjunction with quality mulch it, evaporation is reduced to nil. Below average winter rainfall means that the soil hasn?t had chance to get really wet through the winter. Couple this with water repellent soils and the application of a wetting agent such as Waterwise Concentrated Soil Wetter from Yates is a necessity. You can apply it around the whole garden, lawns, garden beds and everywhere. It means if we get some rain over the next few weeks then the water will soak into the soil and not bead off. It can be re-applied every four to six weeks in the warmer weather. If you would like to visit Whistlepipe Gardens, you can do so on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September 2006 between 10am - 4:30pm. 281 Holmes Rd, Forrestfield Ph: 9453 3393 Mobile: 0439 070 553 Extras: Talks by Margy Clemma at 11am & 2pm each day.