As the clock strikes 12 tonight (13 June 2006) Brisbane residents will have level 3 water restrictions. Despite heavy downpours even 2 days ago this rain just doesn't seem to fall in Wivenhoe or the Somerset dams catchment areas.
"Level 3 means roll up your hoses and bring out the buckets for Brisbanites"Looking After Fruit Trees with Little Water
Excessive rainfall or over-watering will stimulate weak sappy growth at the expense of fruit. To optimise fruit yield you need to water the right amount at the right times.
Water Optimising TipsMulch, Mulch, Mulch:Makes sense doesn't it. A nice mound covered by mulch will keep water in and provide nutrients.
Maintenance Schedules:Certain times of the year fruit trees need very little water other times more. Some fruit like Jakfruit require large amounts of water where as others such as a figs require less. A bit of time researching your fruit trees will help you apply the right amount of water to ensure that great yield even with water restrictions. Try doing a search on google eg Watering Avocado Trees. Here is an example of an Avocado maintenance Schedule.
FREE TRUCKLOADS OF MULCH : many local tree felling contractor truck drivers ( at least in some or all Sydney areas) will give free 10 - 15 cubic metre truckloads of mulch and delivered free too.If they say they only sell the mulch ,eg for about $7 -$10 per cubic metre, then you can say you will only take free mulch ,then they might deliver it free to you if you live close to where they are currently working. It is good to get their phone number from the truck driver and ring their office later and leave your phone number ,as a recorded message if needed, with no home address mentioned until they ring you back with a confirmed delivery time and then they might ring you back with an offer of one or many free delivered load/s of mulch very soon. - rolflora
drip irrigation is legal . hand held hosing (is not practised in this garden) is legal only on Wed. and Sun. before 10 am and after 4 pm. Water filter/purifier :reverse osmosis waste water is drained into the garden. Roof rain water is piped to the garden hollow for infiltration into the ground water. and more ...
Pitaya is a climbing cactus so as with most cactus it can survive with little water. I have one in the backyard growing up a tree. Of course when they start fruiting a bit of extra water would help but they love dry soil and don't take much looking after.
Hi Correy, hi everyone. Hopefully a helpful hint for watering our vegies and trees. This may take a little time sometimes to get used to or remembering to get into the habit. We (my partner and I) now have a bucket as close as possible to the kitchen, used for the water we use after washing vegies, the water after boiling or steaming food, small non greasy wash-ups etc. We put this on the garden instead of letting it go down the drain. Use a bowl for small wash-ups and washing food, then transfer it. I'm sure the sometimes vegie based waste water will do our plants good. The Tap Guy.
FREE TRUCKLOADS OF MULCH : many local tree felling contractor truck drivers ( at least in some or all Sydney areas) will give free 10 - 15 cubic metre truckloads of mulch and delivered free too.If they say they only sell the mulch ,eg for about $7 -$10 per cubic metre, then you can say you will only take free mulch ,then they might deliver it free to you if you live close to where they are currently working.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to get their phone number from the truck driver and ring their office later and leave your phone number ,as a recorded message if needed, with no home address mentioned until they ring you back with a confirmed delivery time and then they might ring you back with an offer of one or many free delivered load/s of mulch very soon.
- rolflora
This is great especially in Sydney.
ReplyDeleteMULCH = MORE OF: mushrooms + hundreds to thousands of small lizards + compost + spiders + birds + water storage + insects for chickens + warmer winter soil
ReplyDelete+ cooler summer soil + fruit...
Do you have water restrictions in Sydney Rolf like South East Queensland?
ReplyDeleteIf so what sort of things do you do with your orchard to use little water but still get great crops?
drip irrigation is legal .
ReplyDeletehand held hosing (is not practised in this garden) is legal only on Wed. and Sun. before 10 am and after 4 pm.
Water filter/purifier :reverse osmosis waste water is drained into the garden.
Roof rain water is piped to the garden hollow for infiltration into the ground water.
and more ...
That sounds like a great setup.
ReplyDeletePitaya Red : Is this a succulent ideal for dehydrated areas?
ReplyDeletePitaya is a climbing cactus so as with most cactus it can survive with little water. I have one in the backyard growing up a tree. Of course when they start fruiting a bit of extra water would help but they love dry soil and don't take much looking after.
ReplyDeleteFor more information:
Pitaya Dragon Fruit
OR
Plant Tag
Hi Correy, hi everyone.
ReplyDeleteHopefully a helpful hint for watering our vegies and trees.
This may take a little time sometimes to get used to or remembering to get into the habit.
We (my partner and I) now have a bucket as close as possible to the kitchen, used for the water we use after washing vegies, the water after boiling or steaming food, small non greasy wash-ups etc. We put this on the garden instead of letting it go down the drain.
Use a bowl for small wash-ups and washing food, then transfer it.
I'm sure the sometimes vegie based waste water will do our plants good.
The Tap Guy.
Cooking water: if minimal water is used in the pot then it,the water, can be consumed .
ReplyDeleteI am looking for a tonne of free mulch, please tell me how I go about contact the person.
ReplyDeleteAs part of the effort to conserve water for Sydney, I would like to mulch my garden rather than put lawn
Please help
To Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteDid you find a free tonne of mulch?
Thousands of small lizards (skinks)are beautifully crawling the no-mow mulch under the fruit trees!
ReplyDeleteThousands of maintenance-free wild pet skinks!