IT wasn’t all that long ago that there was a concerted effort to install water tanks and save water.
Water restrictions were in place and the government of the day was forced to build a desalination plant at Tugan on the coast.
Then just as all that was happening “the rains came” and Marge was happy.
For those of you who don’t recognise this line.
This was from a McCain’s add for corn cobs over 20 years ago, where a farmer, in drought times, thought he heard raindrops on his roof and yelled out the famous sentence “Marge the rains are here”.
It turned out to be the kids eating corn in an open upstairs window and the juice splashing on the roof.
Nowadays the problem seems to be keeping the dams to a height that reflects the needs of the community both for drinking water and for drought proofing the area.
Little thought goes into the watering aspect of our gardens now.
The pressure is off, so to speak, water tanks are not at a premium anymore, yet with the price of water on the way up, maybe we should start to consider the way our garden operates and its need for water.
The need to put a watertank in when you built a home is no longer required.
Mulching our garden is one sure way to conserve the water that we use, with sugarcane residue being one of the best around.
It’s easy to use and providing you’re careful (no breathing in the dust) it’s safe to use. It slowly deteriorates in the garden and feeds the soil.
Plants often grow more slowly in the cooler weather, so a reduced watering regime is required and there are many plants that only require a weekly watering.
If you have room in your garden consider installing a water tank, there are many different styles, sizes, and different materials that one can buy.
After the initial cost your water is free from your roof and can be used exclusively for garden use.
How many of us wastewater? We turn the shower on and wait for the hot to come through, not collecting the cold for other uses; Penny pinching perhaps, just like saving your scraps or paper for the “right bin”.
Do we even have a scrap bin for the garden? As we get older, is it just too hard or are we just a little
lazy.
Ever get a powdery mildew on your vine plants? A sure fire, cheap way to fix this is to make up a clean harmless spray to get rid of powdery mildew by mixing one part full cream milk with 10 parts of water.
Mix well and place in a spray container.
This can be applied every few weeks if necessary.
Remember to halve the milk, if you have ladybeetles around to assist in getting rid of this unsightly mildew.
Till next time.
