Page 29 - Waterfall_Issue 3_March_2022

What measures should I take to manage
excessive rain in my garden?
1. Turn off your irrigation system
Stop watering your garden when rain is forecast. Even
though the water table is high, excess rain can remove
oxygen from the soil and drown roots. After the rain, check
your plants to see if they are wilting or have leaf scorch.

2. Keep off the turf and plants
Avoid soil compaction by not walking in your garden
when it’s muddy. Children love to play and slide in
the garden after the rain; however, with a high water
table, soil pathogens can be spread through spores.
Mowing should also be avoided at this time.

3. Relieve soil compaction Use the following steps to determine the amount of
Use ground cover or mulch to reduce compaction. water your sprinkler system distributes and check
Soil can be aerated by using an aerator, which is a the distribution pattern (arc) at the same time.
tool that removes small plugs in the soil and eases
compaction. Aeration holes can also be made by Determine the rate at which your sprinkler
using a metal or wooden rod. Topdressing with silica applies water to your lawn:
sand after aeration will assist with future drainage. • Put three to five empty containers in a straight line
going away from the sprinkler. Set the last container
Despite all the recent rain, water is a limited and near the edge of the sprinkler’s coverage.
fragile resource. Be water responsible. • Run the sprinkler for a set time, e.g. 30 minutes.
• Water in the early daylight hours, ideally between • Measure the amount of water in each container.
4am and 6am. • Each container will contain a different amount of water. You
• Avoid frequent light watering in summer. It should run your sprinkler system long enough to collect 25mm
evaporates quickly. Deep watering once a week is a of water in the container closest to the sprinkler. The sprinkler
more sustainable method of watering and healthier pattern must overlap to create even wetness of the soil.
for your garden pending weather conditions.
• Select turf grasses and plants with low water requirements. Run the sprinkler long enough to apply at least 25mm
• Avoid using soluble nitrogen fertilisers. (They promote fast of water or until runoff occurs. If runoff occurs first:
growth, which increases the plant’s water requirements.) • Stop the sprinkler and note the running time.
• Allow the water to soak into the ground for 30 minutes.
HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH IRRIGATION • Start the sprinkler.
IS ENOUGH? • If runoff occurs, repeat the above steps until
In Gauteng, 25mm to 35mm of water a week is enough at least 25mm of water has been collected in
to sustain your garden. However, the Cape and KZN the container closest to the sprinkler.
require more water due to excessive winds that cause Do not water again until the lawn has completely
high losses in moisture through trans-evaporation. dried out. (This could take about five days.)

INTERESTING
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTS
The plants in your garden:
• Prevent soil erosion;
• Help to reduce noise pollution;
• Support beneficial insects and birds;
• Naturally clean the air and soil; and
• Replenish nutrients in the soil;
• Reduce cooling costs if well placed;
• May reduce your carbon footprint if
you eat what you plant.

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