What Are the Best Ways to Save Water When Maintaining a Lawn?
Water is essential for plant growth. Watering your lawn appropriately must be a top priority. Be careful not to overdo it. Overwatering a lawn is as detrimental to its health as underwatering it.
An over watered lawn will thin out and develop other health issues. Dieback and stunted growth may also occur. Overwatering your lawn increases your carbon footprint. A study estimates that most lawns receive twice as much water as they need. Overwatering not only wastes water, but also leads to higher water bills, increased maintenance costs and poor performance of the grass itself.
Here are some simple ways to save water while maintaining your lawn from Sonoma County landscape design experts, Gardenworks.
Use an Automatic Rain Shut-Off Device
Install an automatic rain interruption device on your irrigation system controller. Your automatic rain shut-off device will tell the irrigation system to shut off after a specified amount of rain has fallen, helping avoid accidental overwatering. This now a state regulation for new irrigation controller installations.
Look For and Fix Leaks
A single 1/32” diameter leak on a hose, water outlet, or emitter can waste 6,000 gallons of water in a year. Imagine the amount of water multiple leaks can waste! When maintaining your lawn, check devices for leaks. If lawn maintenance seems to be an uphill battle, hire a landscape company to assist you.
Update Your Irrigation System with a Smart Controller
If your budget allows, invest in a weather-based smart controller. A smart controller can help improve watering efficiency by 40 percent.
Use Drought-Tolerant Plants in Your Yard
Using plants that do not need much water is one of the most effective ways to save water in your yard. Drought-tolerant plants such as yucca, coneflower, sage, and yarrow are naturally adapted to survive and thrive in low water conditions. When choosing a drought-tolerant plant, make sure it will do well in your area. Why not remove your tired and time consuming lawn for a plant pallet that will use less water, fewer inputs and attract wildlife such as hummingbirds and butterflies
Water the Soil, Not the Leaves
Watering at the root zone will help reduce evaporation. To prevent fungal diseases and sunscald, keep leaves dry. Consider a professionally-designed and installed irrigation system. The investment will pay for itself over time by helping reduce your water bills.
Install a Rain Barrel
A rain barrel or rainwater tank is a simple device designed to collect and store rainwater runoff. Your landscape-irrigation expert will come up with a plan to integrate your rainwater with your irrigation system.
Do you need landscape design services in Sonoma County? Look no further than Gardenworks. We offer end-to-end landscaping solutions. We have mastered the art and science of creating beautiful and functional landscape designs. To discuss your project with our team, call (707) 857-2050.