If you haven’t been living under a dry over-heated rock, then you know all about the drought affecting the west, or at least have heard about it on your local news at some point.
And it just might be your yard that they are talking about, so it’s about time you jumped on the drought bandwagon and made some changes to the way you water and care for your lawn and garden.
There are many ways to save on the amount of water you use, and it is not only good for your water bill, but it is also good for the entire state you live in. With a water saving landscape you can reduce water use by 20 to 50 percent, and save up to 10,000 gallons a year, that’s a significant amount so lets get with the program.
- Choose specific times of the day to water such as early in the morning before dawn, and after it gets dark at night. If you water too late in the morning the hot sun will evaporate the water too quickly.
- Check your sprinkler system to make sure it’s not leaking somewhere, there is an enormous amount of water waste from broken sprinkler systems, 10 gallons per minute to be exact, remember how precious water is people.
- Mulching your garden and trees with a 2-3 inch layer helps keep the soil moist, keeps the water from evaporating too quickly, and keeps the water loving weeds away. When you water in the sun with no mulch you can loose about 70 percent of the water due to evaporation.
- There is a nifty little tool called a moisture meter that you put into your soil and it reads the moisture content of your soil. You can stop unnecessary watering if you know your soil is still retaining water.
Is water guzzling grass taking up most of your landscape? If so, it’s time to replace some of that grass with drought-resistant shrubs or perennials that require less watering. Check the internet or your local nursery for native drought tolerant plants, there are tons of varieties out there that caters to any kind of landscaping you want, from succulents to blooming California Poppies.
Using organic fertilizers will allow a slow release of nutrients into the soil, at a rate that will keep your plants happy and it reduces the need for frequent watering. Adding compost to your soil will also reduce the amount of water needed, even in clay and sandy soils.
The latest and greatest technology is a smart sprinkler controller that helps to reduce water use. They are wireless controllers that work with your automatic sprinkler systems through a computer that uses info such as the current weather, and specifics about your garden and soil. They are said to save you about 40 gallons of water everyday, not too shabby.
Now that you have all these awesome tips for reducing water use in your own backyard it will be a breeze to implement, you will be a garden rock star at the next neighborhood mixer.
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