Townsville water restrictions: Pharmacist James Jensen offers lawn tips

A holistic health professional who normally helps treat people has revealed the best way to keep your lawn in tip-top shape despite restrictions on water use. SEE THE TIPS.

Hermit Park resident and pharmacist James Jensen said he took lawn care and soil health seriously at home, which included harnessing water-smart techniques. Picture: Supplied

A holistic health professional who normally helps treat people has some tips for healthy lawns amid Townsville’s ongoing water restrictions.

Catastrophic damage to the supply pipeline for Townsville City Council’s northern Water Treatment Plant means that conserving water is essential, particularly with more than 70 per cent of total household water used on lawns and gardens.

Hermit Park resident James Jensen who owns Hello Health said he took lawn care and soil health seriously, including harnessing water-smart techniques.

“I’m very passionate about having a healthy lawn, as soil and garden health impact our environmental and physical health.”

The trained pharmacist said he watered his lawn just once or twice a week to encourage deep root growth and reduce fungal disease.

“I also mow high during drier periods to encourage deeper roots, shade the soil to retain moisture and reduce weed competition,” he said.

“Healthy soils create healthy lawns, so I use products like seaweed-based fertilisers to enrich the soil with microbes and minerals, which vastly increase the water holding capacity of the soil, meaning they can be watered less often and are less susceptible to pests.”

Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said urged residents to band together to reduce water use and “create stronger lawns across our city”.

“Residents have been doing a great job sticking to medium-level water restrictions and using their water responsibly,” she said.

“What we need now is for that responsible water use to continue during the dry season, especially when it comes to you caring for your lawn.”

With the Northern Water Treatment Plant offline, all of Townsville’s water supply was sourced from the Douglas Water Treatment Plant.

Ms Greaney said reduced water usage could lesson pressure on the Douglas plant.

“When you are growing resilient gardens suited to our dry tropics environment it really helps.”

She said resident could help their lawns by adjusting their watering schedules to suit the weather conditions.

“With the sun out and cooler temperatures setting in, Townsville lawns need no more than 25mm of water per week.”

Originally published as Townsville water restrictions: Pharmacist James Jensen offers lawn tips