Quick tips for the garden

Take a look through the tips below for some ideas on how you can use water wisely around your garden.

• Maintain at least 7 cm of mulch cover on your garden beds
• Adding organic matter such as cow manure or compost to your soil will increase the amount of water available for your plants.
• When planting new garden beds, group plants with similar watering needs together.
• Choosing local native varieties and other water wise plants attracts wildlife and means less maintenance and watering
• Try not to cut lawns too short. When mowing, cut only the top third of the leaf area, leaving it three centimetres or higher. Reduce water loss even further by saving your lawn clippings to use as mulch on your lawn or garden.
• Watering your garden in the cool of the early morning or in the evening reduces water loss through evaporation.
• When deciding on a lawn type, go for slow growing, water saving varieties like Palmetto. They have deep roots for drought tolerance and they don't need mowing as much as other varieties.
• Regularly check your outdoor taps, pipes and plumbing fixtures for leaks. Just one dripping tap can waste 2,000 litres a month.
• Using a pool cover is a clever way to reduce evaporation and the need to regularly top up your pool's water level. Without a cover, more than half the water in your pool can evaporate over a year. Learn more about maintaining your pool.
• Try to keep the water level of your pool halfway up the skimmer opening. Overfilling the pool stops the skimmer working efficiently and wastes water.
• Paths, patios and driveways must never be hosed. Use a broom, rake or outdoor blower or vacuum instead. Learn more about Water Wise Rules.
• When washing your car, park it on the lawn and use a bucket for washing and rinsing. This way you can save water, as well as water and fertilise your lawn - car shampoos use phosphates that are similar to many fertilisers.