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Consider the age and hardiness of your plants in deciding how much or how often to provide them with greywater. All plants will benefit from an occasional flushing of rainwater or tap water. |
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Do not overwater your soil with greywater, or overload any sensitive plants or plant material you have recently planted. |
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Prevent runoff. Apply water no faster than your soil can absorb it. |
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Use berms or basins to hold the water where you want it; allowing it to soak in for optimum use by your plants. |
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Pay attention to what your plants are telling you. Wilted or curled leaves or leaf drop can be signs of lack of water. Brittle leaves, wilted shoot tips, or soft plant tissue can mean over watering. |
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Do not apply to potted plants or young seedlings unless you alternate with fresh water or dilute the greywater. |
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Do not use greywater extensively on acid-loving plants as greywater is typically high in salts. |
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If greywater is to be used for irrigation of plants with edible parts, a subsurface irrigation must be used. The only exceptions are citrus and nut trees. |
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Avoid using greywater on crops to be eaten raw such as lettuce. Use greywater on crops like tomatoes where the edible parts are not in contact with the greywater |
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On root crops, use both greywater and fresh water to avoid any pollutant buildup. |
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Fruit trees and ornamental trees are grateful recipients of greywater. |
Appropriate detergents &
soaps
If you plan to use washing machine water to irrigate, you need to beware that detergents and other laundry products use a variety of chemicals to aid in cleaning. Some of these ingredients can be harmful to your plants. Consider the following product characteristics when planning your overall greywater system and how you will use the greywater you generate.
Alkalinity/Acidity - refers to the relative pH of soil. Lowering the pH of the soil to make it less alkaline is generally desirable and beneficial to your plants.
Boron - considered a plant micro nutrient, required in only very, very small amounts. Most soils provide adequate amounts of this chemical. Concentrations only slightly higher than those considered beneficial can cause injury or death to plants. |
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Nitrogen - a very necessary nutrient for plant growth. It is extremely beneficial as a supplement to your landscape plants.
Phosphorous - a necessary plant nutrient, which is very beneficial to your landscape plants.
Potassium - a plant nutrient which is, in general, beneficial, though not as necessary in our soils as in more acidic soils
Sodium - can act as a plant poison by reducing the plant's ability to take up water from the soil. It can build up in the soil gradually increasing its toxicity.
Chlorine - undesirable for plants in large amounts, though found in small amounts in many municipal water supplies. Bleaches and detergents carry larger amounts of chlorine, but it is generally expended in the washing process. Minimizing its contact with your garden is an important goal.
Generally, liquid laundry detergents, liquid hand soaps and shower gels contain less salt, so are more suitable to use with a greywater recycling system.
Appropriate plants for greywater
In general, native plants, desert-adapted plants and tough drought-tolerant plants will do best with greywater irrigation.
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Consider trees such as mesquite, palo verde, cypress, olive, and juniper. |
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Also, shrubs such as oleander, rosemary, and hopseed bush. |
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Bermuda grass |
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Greywater is typically alkaline so avoid using greywater on acid-loving plants such as azaleas, begonias, gardenias, hibiscus, camellias, and ferns |
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Fruit trees and ornamental trees thrive with greywater use. |
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