Want to create a beautiful landscape
for your home that also saves water? Check out these smart tips that will
reduce landscape water use but still leave your property looking beautiful and
alive.
1. Start early. Plan ahead so that all new plantings take place in the
spring. It keeps you out of the summer heat. Plus, plants require much less
water to get situated in the spring than warmer months.
2. Go native.
When deciding what to install in your yard, consider native and
drought-resistant plants. They typically require less
maintenance and little watering once established (sometimes none at
all!)
3. Add compost and
mulch. Use compost when planting
and cover the area with mulch afterwards. Compost helps keep the water by the
plant’s roots and mulch prevents evaporation. Make sure to leave some space
around the base of each plant and resist creating mulch mounds around plants
and trees.
4. Reduce your lawn.
The average American household uses 320 gallons of water per day, about 30
percent of which is devoted to outdoor uses. More than half of that outdoor
water is used for watering lawns and gardens. Consider replacing some of that
grass with an attractive groundcover that is drought-resistant, covers a large
area, and requires zero mowing.
5. Let it super soak.
Up a third of all water from sprinklers can evaporate during the heat of the
day. Instead, give your plants fewer, heavy soakings. If you must use
sprinklers, only use them in the morning.
6. Reuse greywater or
capture rainwater.
Reusing grey water or capturing rainwater offers a free source for landscape
irrigation. These systems can be easily installed and even incorporated into
irrigation systems.
7. Set up a drip
irrigation system.
Drip irrigation systems water plants right at the root and are an efficient
alternative to sprinkler systems. They use 20 to 50 percent less water than
conventional pop-up sprinkler systems and can save up to 30,000 gallons per
year. Be sure to get a timer for maximum effectiveness.
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