A double rainbow over North Perth Community Garden.

Preparing your garden for summer: strategic watering

Perth has just suffered through the hottest November on record, with no letup expected in the coming Summer it will be challenging for all. Summer means water management is critical and the key to plant survival is preparation; strategic watering, mulch and shade. As the effects of Climate Change become more evident, instructions to plant in full sun no longer seem to apply in Perth’s Summer. Rainfall has reduced significantly while rising temperatures increase evaporation & water requirements, despite this we still have an urgent need to conserve water.

In Winter NPCG can use as little as 3,000L/week whereas in Summer it can be over 30,000L/week, so any watering needs to limit evaporation and maximise plant utilisation, so;

  • Dry Surface soil in summer is normal
  • Extra hand watering mostly evaporates without necessarily improving plant survival
  • Judge the need for water by the condition of your plants, if they’re not sagging & water stressed they don’t need extra water
  • Check 5cm – 10cm below the surface for soil moisture

Less is sometimes more:

  • Less frequent but deeply penetrating watering can encourage a plant to send their roots deeper into the cooler moister zone so improve their resilience in hot weather
  • Avoid middle of the day watering, if extra hand watering is needed do it early morning or late evening to allow time for it to soak deeper into the soil.
  • Avoid any watering when the temperature is above 43oC, the hot water on the leaves will scorch them and the sap may boil
  • Avoid planting new seedlings during peak Summer it is hard to keep them hydrated when their roots are still in the 5cm – 10cm hot/dry zone

NPCG’s irrigation comes on daily at 6am, it is regulated by a weather sensor. Please do not put extra holes in your irrigation pipework, this reduces the pressure to the whole system (less water flows overall), everybody else around you gets less and you get no more. If concerned please speak to the Committee.