Watering Your Verge

Regularly watering your verge plants will keep them looking healthy and improve the appearance of your property. When deciding how to deliver water to your garden you need to consider the size of the verge area, your budget and your available time.

Ideally your waterwise verge won’t need a permanent irrigation system to be installed. However if you do decide on irrigation - automated reticulation systems are the most convenient but can be expensive to install. Installing a system yourself will help to reduce the cost. Spend the time to research systems to find one that suits your needs.

Please note that reticulation on the verge area should sit below the soil surface (sub-surface drip irrigation recommended). Hand watering is more cost effective but is time consuming if you have a large verge area. This method can also make it difficult to ensure consistency in the amount of water delivered.

Local soils are prone to becoming hydrophobic, where they actually repel water. This prevents water and nutrient from penetrating the soil surface and reaching the plants root zone. Water is then lost by run off and evaporation.

Unfortunately, this common problem requires ongoing management. It is highly recommended to apply a wetting agent at planting and at the beginning of each season Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. This will minimise waste and ensure the water is available to the plants.

This problem can be easily detected by pouring a bucket of water on the area. If the water stays on the surface or does not quickly seep into the soil a wetting agent will assist.

Verge Trees need to be watered regularly for at least the first two years after planting in order to establish. A minimum of 50lts per week for a 35lt tree is required, additional hand watering may be needed during extended periods of hot weather.

Once Native and Mediterranean plants are established will usually only require 1-2 waterings of approximately 10 – 15 minutes per week.

Please ensure sprinklers are only used on Water Corporation approved watering days.

Applying mulch to your garden is also recommended. The mulch helps to reduced water loss through evaporation and also keeps the surface of the soil cool.

Choose a mulch with irregularly shaped particle sizes as it will allow water and nutrients to travel through it effectively. Some fine mulches may become compacted and water repellent.

Mulch should be applied 5 – 10cm thick. Keep mulch several centimetres away from the trunk of all plants, to avoid fungal diseases. Organic mulch (wood chips) may need to be reapplied once a year in late spring, as it will eventually break down into the soil.

For more handy water saving tips, garden design ideas and videos on how to makeover your verge visit the Water Corporation website.