South Africa celebrates National Water Week from 16-22 March this year. Why not celebrate the week by adopting these waterwise planting and irrigation habits?

When you plant

• Plant moisture-loving plants on the south and east side of your home, where they’ll receive less sun. Plant hardier, indigenous plants on the north and west side of your home.
• Always schedule planting of seedlings, shrubs or trees for early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The hot midday sun will make it far more difficult for new plants to cope, which means they’ll need more water.
• Dig troughs or basins around thirsty plants such as roses. This way you won’t lose precious water due to “run-off” when irrigating.
• Always enrich the soil with plenty of compost prior to planting. Compost improves the health and water-retaining capacity of the soil.

When you water

• If you have an automatic irrigation system, set it to water for 20 minutes per zone every third day. Watering less frequently, but for longer encourages strong root growth in plants.
• Group plants of a similar height in the same irrigation zones. Often, taller plants will form an umbrella over smaller plants beneath, which means they don’t get any water.
• Drip irrigation works very well for low-lying plants. It also results in less water loss due to evaporation.
• Add a moisture sensor to your irrigation system. This clever gadget measures moisture levels in the air and will stop your irrigation system from switching on if it is raining, or if it has rained recently.