Water-Wise Landscaping

As populations grow and droughts occur more frequently across the country, water supplies are becoming tighter and tighter. This has prompted a closer look at landscape watering. Approximately one-half of residential water is diverted to landscape watering, and much of it is needlessly wasted. Fortunately, there are many simple steps that homeowners can take to reduce water waste and get more from the water they use.

The biggest water user in the home landscape is typically the lawn, so it is the area that offers the biggest opportunity for water savings. Here are a few suggestions:

• Reduce the size of the lawn by adding or increasing the size of planting beds, gardens, and patio areas.
• Use locally-adapted turf grasses that have lower water requirements.
• Water early in the day, when wind and evaporation losses are their lowest.
• Water deeply, with less frequency. This reduces runoff, and encourages deep-rooted, resilient grass plants.
• Water efficiently by limiting over-watering, limiting watering paved areas, and using well-maintained equipment.

The opportunities for water-savings continue beyond the edge of the grass. An increasingly popular option is planting native, or well-adapted, drought-tolerant landscape plants. And you don’t have to go for the desert look to pursue this option (although the desert look can be beautiful). There are a wide variety of plants available in most areas that can get by with little or no supplemental watering. Keeping plants healthy also helps by allowing them to be more tolerant of drought stress.

It’s also important to group the plants according to their habitat needs: dry and sunny, shady and moist, or somewhere in between. This way, you can water the plant groups that need it and avoid those that do not, allowing plants to thrive with the amount of moisture they desire.

As with lawns, water can be saved in planting beds by watering slow and deep, efficiently, and early. Low-pressure drip irrigation systems are very effective at achieving these goals, plus they help avoid disease problems plants can develop with sprinkler irrigation systems.

Another water-saving tip for landscape beds is to use mulch. Mulch, most commonly wood chips or bark, help hold the soil moisture in, plus it moderates soil temperature extremes. As the mulch decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil, improving water penetration and holding capacity.

The ultimate in water savings is to capture it for reuse later. Options range from the simple 55 gallon drum at the base of one or more downspouts, to more involved high-capacity cistern systems. Either will help you put to good use water that otherwise would be wasted as runoff.

For the most part, these steps are not difficult or complicated. Taking these steps will allow you to have an attractive, diverse landscape on a low-water budget. If you would like more details on these or other outdoor water-saving tips, please click here to contact your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant.