Moderate Water

What moderate water actually means

Moderate water is the middle setting on the watering scale. These plants want regular deep drinks while they establish, then hold their own on rainfall for most of the year, asking for help only through dry spells and summer heat. They are not thirsty bog dwellers and they are not true dry garden specialists. For most Australian gardens with a tap in hose reach, this is the default setting, which is why the group is so large.

How to narrow a range this size

More than 1,500 plants carry the tag, so filter before you browse. Start with your climate, then position (full sun or partial shade), then the job you need done. Hedge and privacy shoppers can head straight to the hedging and screening range or to proven performers like Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' and mock orange. Feature tree buyers will find magnolias, crepe myrtles and jacaranda. There are climbers such as star jasmine, groundcovers like native violet, and a full bench of citrus. The one thing they share is the watering rhythm: a decent soak weekly in dry weather keeps all of them performing.

Watering across Australian climates

• Tropical and subtropical gardens. The wet season carries these plants for months at a stretch. Your work is the dry season: a deep soak once or twice a week from roughly May to October, less for established trees.
• Warm temperate coastal gardens. Rainfall does most of the lifting. Water new plantings through their first two summers, then only in extended dry spells.
• Cool temperate gardens. Growth is slower and evaporation lower, so established plants may need almost no hand watering outside heatwaves. Concentrate on the first spring and summer after planting.
• Mediterranean and dry inland gardens around Perth and Adelaide. This is where the tag matters most. Plan on a deep weekly soak all summer, group these plants on one irrigation line, and consider drought tolerant plants for the corners the hose never reaches.

Establishment: the first two years decide everything

Nearly every plant lost in a first summer is lost to watering, not to the plant. Water in thoroughly at planting, then give 5 to 10 litres per plant twice a week for the first two to three months, and weekly for the rest of the first year whenever the weather is dry. Deep and infrequent beats a light daily sprinkle, because it draws roots down to where the soil stays moist. Mulch 75mm deep out to the dripline, keeping it clear of stems, and evaporation drops sharply. From the second summer, most of these plants only need a soak when the top 5cm of soil has dried out.

Cutting the workload further

Group plants with matching thirst on the same line, a habit landscapers call hydrozoning, so nothing gets overwatered to keep its neighbour alive. Two 4 litre per hour drippers per shrub, run for an hour once or twice a week, will outperform any hand watering. If your rainfall is genuinely unreliable, lean on the many Australian native plants in this collection, including lilly pillies, westringia and lomandra, which tolerate the widest swings between wet and dry.

Common questions

How often should I water once plants are established?

In dry weather, give shrubs a deep soak once a week and established trees one every 10 to 14 days. After proper rain, skip it. The finger test never lies: if the soil is moist 5cm down, wait.

Is moderate water the same as drought tolerant?

No. Many plants here are also drought tolerant, meaning they survive extended dry once established, but moderate water describes what they need to look their best. A crepe myrtle will live through a drought; it flowers far better on a weekly summer drink.

Can I run these plants on an irrigation controller?

Yes, and they suit it well. Set long, infrequent cycles rather than short daily ones: one or two deep runs a week in summer, halved in spring and autumn, and off over winter across most of the country.

What does overwatering look like?

Yellowing lower leaves, wilting despite wet soil and a sour smell around the roots. Overwatering kills more garden plants than drought does. On heavy clay, plant slightly proud of ground level and improve drainage before blaming the plant.

How does delivery work?

Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.