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Water-wise gardening techniques for your foliage or vegetable plants

We already know that water is precious, and in Singapore, it’s expensive because we live in a water-scarce nation. We are one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, and the pricing of water is meant to reflect the value and scarcity of water here. In this post I’d like to share why it is important that we aim for a water-efficient garden indoors and outdoors, especially in Singapore, and include 9 water-wise gardening techniques that you can try at home.

Why have a water-wise garden?

As gardeners and lovers of plants, it is in our interests to care for the planet because it houses all the plants we love, and the climate because it affects all the plants we have at home and in the wild, the biodiversity around it — and us! Beyond our love for plants we also need to care for the resources that go into gardening. Water security is certainly a thing that should be on our radar.

Each day, Singapore uses approximately 430 million gallons of water, or 782 olympic-sized swimming pools, and this is expected to double by 2060. Households account for 45% of water usage and on average, each Singaporean uses 141 litres of water every day. Public Utility Board’s (PUB) target is to reduce this to 130 litres by 2030. In contrast, many European cities have managed to reduce water consumption to below 100 litres.

As recent as 2016, a major source of our water supply – Linggiu Reservoir – experienced a drastic dip in its water level. At its lowest point, it was only 20% full. Fortunately, it has since returned to healthy levels. As part of our water agreement with Malaysia, we draw up to 250 million gallons of raw water a day. Other sources of water include desalination, NEWater and local catchment from reservoirs.

For these reasons, we need to use water-wise gardening techniques to conserve what we can.

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