Salinity

What is it?

What causes it?

Ways to fix the problem

What you can do• Like most environmental problems, the sum total of our small individual

actions can have a large impact. Like Landcare farmers, we can all look at our land management practices in our gardens and their environmental impacts.

• Irrigation farmers are using water much more carefully to ensure that excess water doesn’t seep down to the water table and cause it to rise. Likewise, gardeners need to be careful not to over-water gardens, especially grassed areas. In fact lawns should be kept to a minimum and perennial plants should be established where possible.

• No matter how small an area we look after, taking a Landcare approach can pay off. And perhaps our kids won’t have to watch their salt as carefully as we do!

Help the fight against salinity• Reducing the amount of water that can seep down into the water table

is the key to avoiding salinity. Gardeners can help by:• Mulching garden beds to reduce watering needs.• Choosing plants with low water needs.• Watering with a hand held hose.• Using a timer with a sprinker, or micro-irrigation.• Reducing the amount of lawn.• Increasing the number perennial plants.