10 Tips For Busy Gardeners, not sure how you are going to find time to save water and keep your garden beautiful at the same time. Making some simple, inexpensive changes to improve the way you water your landscape and you will save water and money too.
Here are 10 tips for busy gardeners to save water:
1.Install an ETwater smart controller
They save water, save money, and set a schedule for your irrigation that helps your plants thrive.
ETwater also has an inexpensive device called the Hermit Crab. The Hermit Crab converts most old school controllers into a smart controller. They are simple to install (Often less than 15 minutes) and simple to program.
2.Water only when needed
Here are a few tools to help you understand when water is needed.
3.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.
4.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.
5.Increase the use of drip irrigation.
Drip irrigation saves water in landscapes, improves the growth of plants, discourages weeds, saves time, helps control fungal diseases, and is adaptable to the changing needs of your landscape.
6.Install a rain shut-off device.
These prevent watering when it is raining and ensure water is applied only when you need it (See #2). Your ETwater smart controller is so smart it knows when it’s going to rain and will adjust your irrigation accordingly.
7. Set lawn mower blades higher to increase ground shade and water retention in soil.
8. Mulch around shrubs and planters to reduce evaporation and cut down on weeds.
9.Use a broom, rather than a hose to clean driveways or sidewalks.
10.Install a pressure reducer.
If you observe 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 we can do to conserve water. The tips above can be done quickly, and the payback over time will be substantial. Our cooperative conservation and advocacy efforts reduce our monthly water bills and make a difference in alleviating the growing water