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With warmer, sunnier days here to stay, it is a great time to get outdoors and have some fun in backyards and gardens. However, keeping up a desirable yard requires not only hard work but also consumes more water than you might think. In fact, more than half of the residential water used in a typical western city goes to outdoor landscape watering. And with droughts occurring around the country and restrictions on watering being imposed in many places, it is especially urgent that we start conserving water. By following these five tips, you can make sure your garden stays cool and eco-friendly while saving you some time.
1. Keep Them Native
Native plants are plant species that are specifically adapted for your region of the country. They have grown in a specific area for hundreds or even thousands of years and have adapted to the climate very well. They are thus able to grow perfectly with the amount of precipitation an area naturally gets, requiring little to no watering. Unfortunately, many people opt out of using native species for invasive species that are much more water consuming and require a lot more maintenance.
Some of the benefits of native plants are that they do not require fertilizers (hence keeping harmful chemicals out of your yard), they require a lot less water than lawns and other non-native plants, they help reduce air pollution, and they even will save you money in maintenance since they will be able to naturally thrive with minimum effort. If your area is prone to droughts, try looking into drought resistant plants as they can also significantly reduce the amount of watering your plants need. Visit California Native Plant Society for a useful guide on how to start your own native garden (whether you live in California or elsewhere). Opting for native plants is a very eco-responsible choice.
Changing your lawn to native grass is perhaps one of the easiest ways to start saving water, besides of course getting rid of your lawn. Check out American Lawns to figure out which type of grass naturally grows the best in your climate. You might be surprised to find that the type of grass you have currently may be very unsuited for your area, making you less "green" than you think.
2. Water Wisely
Many people make the mistake of overwatering their yard. Watering your yard only when necessary prevents erosion, runoff, and water wastage. Make sure to water at strategic times such as the early morning, (the best time is from 4am to 6am), when temperatures are low and evaporation is less likely to occur; do not water when it is windy to increase water retention. Also, water your lawn for long enough so that the roots are able to absorb the water but not for too long so that runoff occurs. Another helpful tip is if some parts of your lawn are dry only water those parts instead of watering your whole lawn.
3. Effective Irrigation
The way you choose to water your garden has a big impact on how much water you will consume. Often times we use more water (unknowingly rather than purposefully) because of leaky valves, improperly working sprinklers, and bad placement. You can solve this problem by doing one of the following:
- Install a Smart Controller that automatically adjusts the watering time and frequency based on soil moisture, rain, wind, evaporation and transpiration rates of the plants. This can save you from overwatering by 13,500 gallons a year as well as saving you over $700 over the span of its usage.
- If possible, use drip-irrigation to deliver water to only the plants instead of the soil while preventing evaporation. Drip-irrigation systems use up to 50% less water than a sprinkler system and have many benefits such as producing healthier plants, besides saving water and money. This system is easy to set-up and will give you great flexibility in irrigating your yard.
- Also, make sure to install timers on any irrigation or sprinkler systems to reduce the amount of time your yard is being watered. Many products also have rain sensors which can detect rain and prevent overwatering.
4. Smarter Landscaping
Design a smarter landscape that is driven at conserving water by planting more shade and mulching. By planting more trees in your yard, you will increase the amount of shade available and decrease the amount of evaporation that occurs due to direct sunlight. Mulching is also a great way to reduce water loss by 70%, reduce erosion, suppress weed growth, and reduce the need for chemical sprays. Mulching means to put a layer of material over your soil and can be done with newspaper, wood chips, grass clippings, and leaves. Another way to reduce water in your landscape is to consider having a rock bed garden instead of traditional soil gardens since they require less watering. For additional smarter energy-wise landscaping ideas, we recommend Sue Reed's book Energy-Wise Landscape Design.
5. Use Rain Barrels
Whenever it rains, we are given the very scarce gift of clean, usable water. But unless we know how to store this water, it will do nothing but make the ground a little muddier. A great way to take advantage of rainy days is to use rain barrels to collect the rain. Rain barrels collect the runoff water from roofs and allow you to store it until it can be harvested later for watering your garden. A rain barrel can save 1,400 gallons of water in the average home, a huge water savings. You can find a variety of different sizes and styles of rain barrels in our store. Or you can learn how to make your own rain barrel and save even more money. Installing a rain barrel is easy, and it is yet another simple eco-friendly device to have.
With these helpful green tips, you can save lots of water in your yard, not to mention lots of money. Perhaps even enough to take that summer vacation. Check out the Natural Resources Conservation Service for even more eco-friendly tips on how to save water in your garden. And make sure to tell us how you are saving water in your yard in the box below!
JustLiveGreener brings you in depth-information about environmental issues as well as tips for a greener, more eco-friendly way of living that respects nature while enhancing quality of life.
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