Now more than ever there is a need to save water in landscapes. Making some simple inexpensive changes to improve the way you water your landscape will
save water and save money too. Here are some easy steps you can take today:
- Set your controller to water early in the morning right before dawn. It reduces losses to wind and evaporation and saves water in landscapes.
- Water only when needed – Here are a few tools to help you understand when water is needed.
- Regularly adjust sprinklers to avoid waste and ensure uniform distribution -Regularly means if you have spray heads in turf, turn your irrigation on after you mow and adjust the sprays after every mowing.
- Test the spray patterns of sprinkler systems and check for debris blocking the flow of water. Fill a bucket with water, remove the nozzle and rinse it in the bucket to clean it if you detect any blockage.
- Increase the use of drip irrigation. Drip irrigation saves water in landscapes, improves growth of plants, discourages weeds, saves time, helps control fungal diseases and is adaptable to the changing needs of your landscape.
- Install rain shut-off devices and in-ground moisture sensors. These prevent watering when it is raining and ensure water is applied only when you need it (See #2).
- Set lawn mower blades higher to increase ground shade and water retention in soil.
- Mulch around shrubs and planters to reduce evaporation and cut down on weeds.
- Use a broom, rather than a hose to clean driveways or sidewalks.
- Install a pressure reducer. If you observe a misting effect when your irrigation system runs 50% of your water may end up in the atmosphere instead of in your soil. You could end up using up to two times as much water to give the plants the water they need.
There is so much more we can do to help conserve water. Our collective conservation and advocacy efforts reduce our monthly water bills, and make a difference in alleviating this growing problem. I am sure interested to hear some of your favorite ways to save water in landscapes. Please be sure to let us know in the comment section below. Also, please be sure to follow me on twitter @H2oTrends for all your water news.