SunLive Competition

Water is a vital ingredient of any successful garden.

It is a key element in producing healthy tasty vegetables, fruits and for maintaining flowers, pots and lawns.

Lack of plant performance is often a result of poor or inadequate watering. Water is the backbone of any successful crop, whether it be edible, flowering or ornamental. In late summer, soil can become dry, hard and repel water (hydrophobic). When you water these dry pots the water quickly runs down the edges of the pot and out through the drainage holes without being absorbed (effectively wasting the majority of the water that was applied). A good trick to re-hydrate overly dry pots or hanging baskets is to place them in a bucket or trough of water and leave them in there soaking until the water stops bubbling. This may take a day or be overnight, but the root zone will be refreshed and your plants will thank you for it.

A smart proactive way to help the soil hold on to moisture over the warm months is to add a few essentials to it to increase its water holding capacity.

Mulch

A thick layer of mulch helps the soil hold on to moisture for longer periods. Before adding mulch to the gardens, water the area well. This will trap moisture in the soil and provide plants a cool moist root zone. Pelletised pea straw is about the easiest mulch to apply, simply add an even layer over the soil. When water is applied it swells four times its original size making it very economical, easy and very tidy to apply – no messy hands or wheelbarrows required with this stuff.

Decorative bark and pine mulches are widely available and look smart once applied. Sheep pellets are fabulous mulch as they feed and retain moisture at the same time. Tui Super Sheep Pellets are a favourite with worms too, it’s a good idea to feed the ‘soil workers’ over the warmer months too.

Soil wetters

Soil wetters (not to be confused with bed wetters) are magic products that once applied to the soil enable it to hold on to more moisture – making water go further and keeping plants healthy and productive at the same time.

Saturaid is the soil wetter to look out for, simply sprinkle it onto the soil or pots and blend in. Reapply each season to ensure the best water retention.

Ground covers

Covering the soil with ground covering plants will limit the amount of moisture drawn out of the soil on hot days. In the vege garden, crops like pumpkins, melons and courgettes cover the soil and protect crops growing around them.

Watering hints

Water roots not foliage. Plants take in water through the root zone so watering the foliage is unnecessary and can cause leaf burning.

Water in the morning or early evening avoiding the heat in the middle of the day. It’s best to water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little each day. It is wasteful to apply water faster than the soil can soak it in.

Check leaking hoses or taps, they can waste a lot of water. A dripping tap can leak up to 10 litres of water a day.

Water the garden, not the driveway, path or paved areas.

Use a soak hose in garden beds rather than a sprinkler.

When planting, group plants together with similar water needs, this will also help simplify the design of an automatic watering system

Phone a friend – if you are away over the holiday season ask a friend or neighbour to pop in and water your treasures.

Win: Go in the draw to win a water saving kit valued at $60 which includes Saturaid, Pelletised Pea Straw and mulch and feed with SunLive. Entrants must be aged 18 years or over. To enter, you must be logged in, if you are new click here to register for free!

Competition Results

Jan Hutson
Bellevue