How much water does my garden need?

Most gardens in WA don’t need as much water as we think. And because the average household uses around 36% of their scheme water in the garden, watering wisely can save bucketloads while keeping your plants healthy.

How often should I water my garden?

You can only water once on your rostered watering days. This applies to both scheme and water bores. Watering just one extra day a week can waste around 348 buckets of water each month. Watering more often doesn’t help plants grow, it can actually wash nutrients away. Overwatering can waste bucketloads across WA.

When is the best time to water?

On your rostered days, make sure you’re watering once before 9am or after 6pm. Watering in the morning is best as the cooler temperature means less evaporation and allows plants to use water throughout the day when they need it most.

Efficient hand watering

You can hand water any day of the week, preferably before 9am. Using a watering can or handheld hose (1 outlet) with a nozzle, is the most efficient way to hit the root zone and target specific plants that need water more than others. It also helps to avoid over watering. Please note that this cannot be attached to a sprinkler or left unattended. Learn more hand watering tips.

How much water does my garden need?

In Perth and the South West, your garden and lawn only need 10mm of water, twice a week in summer to sustain your garden and keep it healthy. This amount of water is ideal for filtering down to most plants' feeding roots. 

Watering more than this doesn’t provide your plants with any additional benefit. Overwatering can contribute to leaching vital nutrients from the soil. Find out how to set the recommended sprinkler run times for your sprinkler type.

Seasonally adjusting your irrigation system

As temperatures rise in summer, your garden needs more water. But in the cooler months, lower evaporation rates mean your garden needs far less. Leaving your irrigation system on the same settings all year can lead to wasted water, overwatering, nutrient loss and even root rot. 

Learn more about why you should seasonally adjust your irrigation.

Efficiently maintaining your irrigation system

Irrigation systems use a lot of water and can often be the reason for a high water bill. By programming your tap timers and irrigation system correctly and regularly checking your system, you’ll nurture your garden, while using water efficiently.

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Rain forecast? Switch off your irrigation

No matter the season, your irrigation system should always be turned off when it’s raining. Switching off when it rains prevents unnecessary watering and saves bucketloads with little effort. It’s easy to do, just switch your controller to ‘off’, select the ‘rain’ option, or press ‘snooze’. Some models even have gutter mounted rain sensors that will turn the water off for you automatically if you’re away or if it rains overnight. 

If you live in Perth or the South West region, it’s important to be aware of the Winter Sprinkler Switch-off. The switch-off applies from 1 June - 31 August every year.