Cyprus-Forum.com

[SKI-preo]

Maybe you are right. My gardner only comes once a month, but one hedge is 8 foot high while the other is two feet high.

Are wetting agents available in Cyprus. Maybe this is an opportunity contact me:

Soil wetting agents are designed to overcome water repellence in soils. Sandy soils, soils high in organic matter and potting mixes are the most likely to become hydrophobic. When these types of soils are watered with a hose, the water simply rolls off and is not absorbed. This can be a trap for gardeners who think they have watered their plants when in fact the water has simply rolled to the sides of the pot and out the drainage holes without wetting the soil at all. So "well-watered" pots can often be seriously drought stressed.

Soil wetters help to overcome the effects of waxy organic coatings on the surface of the soil and the surface of organic matter so allowing the water to penetrate and be absorbed.

What soil wetters do not do is to change the structure of the soil. They do not improve soil as such. Slow rates of water infiltration can also be the result of factors such as soil compaction and heavy clays. Soil wetters will not solve these problems and other strategies need to be employed. These include cultivation, the addition of organic matter and/or gypsum, or the use of "clay-breaking" products which affect the chemical composition of the soil so that particles clump together and create pore spaces through which water and air can move.

It is important to do what you can to avoid allowing soil and potting medium to dry out to the point where it becomes hydrophobic.

[georgios100]

My brother had problems growing vegetables in his garden while watering from his well. After some time he realized his well water had high levels of Boron, common in Cyprus. If you are on a well you should look into this.
Soil composition is important, so is water quality.

I haven't planted/watered anything yet...

Don't know where you are located but Nicosia and the surrounding hills have a real problem with Boron content in the groundwater supply. My brother is located 3 miles off the main highway, at the Alethrico village. He has approx 10 skales on a hillside (foothills of Stavrovouni mountain). He dished out a large amount of money to drill a 600 feet well, submersible pump and 20KVA generator only to discover that the water is contaminated with Boron. Now, he is faced with additional costs to install RO membranes to remove some of the Boron... he is pissed!!!

Check out this link
http://hydroweb.com/jeh/jeh2001/eleft.pdf

If you are on a well, get the water tested first to make sure of the quality...

Hope this helps,

Georgios100

[SKI-preo]

Or instal rain water tanks. If you do this you will not affect the rising salinity problem in Cyprus and the flooding of sea water to underground aquifers. http://www.bushrangerwatertanks.com.au/

[apc2010]

I have wondered before why more people don't have rain water tanks and gutters on their houses, even in the UK people save rain water for the garden.

[Sotos]

GR who is going to maintain that garden? you? The problem is not to get it as you want. The problem is to keep it that way. You will either have to spend a lot of time or a lot of money. For my garden low maintenance will be a high priority. So no lawn and no flowers!

I was hoping that once it’s all up and running I could get away with it with 1-2 hours p/weekend… no?

It depends on how big is your garden and what you put in it. There are plants that need a lot of care and 1-2 hours a week will not be enough.