Windhoek
Since the City of Windhoek and Namwater declared a water crisis towards the end of last year many residents have watched as their gardens die a slow death. The manager at Ferreira’s Nursery, Maria Nel, says this need not be the case.
While admitting that people do tend to waste water while performing daily activities, such as washing and doing laundry, Nel called on all Namibians to change their mentality when it comes to using the liquid of life.
“Soil preparation is of utmost importance,” she said about preserving gardens in general and particularly during times of drought.
Nel advised residents with plants and gardens to use ample amounts of organic matter, such as compost and Cocopeat, which both significantly reduce evaporation.
“Mulching (such as adding organic matter) is essential as it can reduce water consumption by as much as 50 percent. Also, healthy plants consume less water so it is important for fertilisation to be kept up to date,” said Nel.
Commenting on watering times, Nel noted that it is “amazing” how many people water their gardens or plants in the evening.
“The earth’s crust only really cools down by around 23h00. For this reason people should water their plants or gardens early in the morning to save water, because this is when both the ground and plants are at their coolest.”
She continued that over-watering also damages plants, as it destroys the hair roots, which are clearly visible when plants start showing signs of internal damage.
According to Nel, Ferreira’s Nursery moved to their current premises in 1994 and since then have been using semi-purified water for their plants and fountains on display.
She also advised consumers to adopt simple practices, such as not using a dishwasher, only doing full loads of laundry, as well as using left-over laundry or bathwater for plants.
When asked if the ongoing drought has affected business in a negative way, Nel said: “Not at all. Our business has not really suffered. We don’t only sell plants, we sell lots of other things as well.”