Water Wise Watch - July 2022
14.07.22
Nelson Mandela International Day 2022
While July 18 has been designated as Nelson Mandela International Day, South Africans welcome the opportunity to commemorate Nelson Mandela's life throughout the month. This provides everyone with the opportunity to respond to the call to action and recognise their individual power to leave an imprint on the world around them.
The focus of the campaign is to eradicate the inequalities that exist in the world, especially those that have been highlighted by the Covid19 pandemic. This can be done by identifying those that are in need around you and what you can do to assist them. This goes hand in hand with this year's theme which is "Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are."
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- Where possible, facilitate the growth of fresh, organic, and affordable fruit and vegetables in or for vulnerable communities.
- Contribute in whatever way you can to groups and organisations that assist vulnerable communities with long-term food production.
- Plant organic fruit and vegetables at home and in your community to contribute to environmental protection and mitigate against climate change.
Sources:
mandeladay.com
gov.za
SAGIC is a non-profit umbrella body for various associations that play a role in the green industry in South Africa. Green Industry bodies are involved with planning, construction and maintenance of all green spaces, be it gardens, and/or landscapes for corporate offices parks, shopping centres, campuses, estates (office, residential, industrial, eco etc.), parks, golf courses, sports facilities, cemeteries, schools, hospitals, residences etc., as well as other specialised services relating to nurseries, garden centres, and rehabilitation and restoration of green areas.
This year the Rand Water trophy for most Water Wise landscape design went to GVH Landscaping for House Keller. Congratulations to the team for their outstanding work on this design!
Some images of the winning landscape are seen below. The landscape design won based on some of the following Water Wise aspects:
- Hydrozoning – plants that preferred moisture were planted in areas that had difficult drainage that provided a continuous supply of water, while plants that thrive in drier conditions were placed in areas of the garden where the correct amount of irrigation could be applied.
- Mulching – large areas of the garden were mulched – especially the areas that needed less irrigation than the focal areas needed.
- Plant material – suitable plants were chosen to match specific characteristics of each area of the landscape. In the bottom area of the garden, where the topsoil was used more sparingly and planting was shallower, plants were used that had shallow root systems, were indigenous and were able to cope with less irrigation.
- Irrigation design - rainwater from the entire site was harvested and stored in three large raintanks, and this water was used exclusively for irrigation of the landscape. A rain sensor switched the irrigation off when it rained a certain amount.
- Water use monitoring on site - the maintenance team was responsible for constantly monitoring water use in the landscape, and irrigation was adjusted if necessary.
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Protect your plants from frost
Frost is as a thin layer of ice formed when water vapour changes from a gas to a solid when exposed to temperatures below freezing point.
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How to protect plants from from frost
- Frost harms plants by converting water in plant cells into ice crystals, which disrupts fluid movement and damages plant tissues.
- Plants that are in containers are more at risk to frost damage since there is no insulation from the soil, so ensure that your potted plants are kept indoors during frost season. To ensure that your plants don't suffer from shock due to abrupt temperatures changes move the plants into a warmer area such as your garage or shed.
- You can use a fabric covering such as frost netting or hessian to protect your plants from frost. Fabric is preferable because it not only protects your plants from the frost, but it allows moisture to escape. For increased resistance to the frost, you can cover your plants with plastic, but make sure that the plastic you use does not come into contact with plants foliage as this may damage the plants.
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Sources:
ruralsprout.com
miraclegro.com
Make use of a flow regulator. You can significantly reduce water wasted by installing a flow regulator in your taps. This device functions as a filter, dividing a single stream of water into several tiny streams by directing air into the water flow. Water then has less area to flow due to the air, causing the water to pour out in a reduced manner, saving water. You can save between six and nine litres of water per minute by using a flow regulator on taps. |
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Cover your pool. There are numerous advantages to covering your pool. Firstly, evaporation from your pool can be reduced by up to 80-90%. This means that instead of having to top up your pool every few days, especially in hot summer months, the pool would only need to be topped up once a month, if not less. Secondly, the pool cover will catch the majority of falling leaves and debris, which means your pool will need to be cleaned less frequently and the filter will be used less frequently. This is especially useful during the winter months when your pool is not in use. |
Every drop counts!
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