Grow a Healthy Lawn While Conserving Water

With the metro area in a drought, offers these tips to help gardeners conserve water and protect their wallets from sky-high water bills:

Water in the early morning to reduce evaporation:

• Water between the hours of 4 and 8 a.m.
• This will cut evaporation, saving you money and conserving water.

 Switch from overhead sprinklers to soaker hoses: 

• Soaker hoses conserve water by dripping water right to the roots of the plant.
• Snake the soaker hose throughout the garden placing it about a foot away from the base of shrubs.

 Adjust timers on automatic sprinklers:

• Most sprinklers are programmed to water too often. Set your timer to water longer for a deep watering.
• You want to water until right before you start to see run-off.
• If plants show signs of stress such as wilting or yellowing, add another watering to your schedule.

 Use water wands with a trigger:

• When watering container gardens, hanging baskets or other small areas, use a water wand with a trigger.
• This allows you to water only the plants and not the pavement or ground between plants.
• Make sure to water each plant thoroughly so water penetrates to the root system.

Reduce lawn watering

• Most homeowners water their lawns too much. Reduce your total watering by as much as 50 percent – lawn will be healthier and just as lush and green.
• This may mean skipping one lawn watering each week.
• Never restart the entire automatic watering cycle to water a dry patch – select the appropriate station and run manually.

Mulch to conserve soil moisture

• Using mulch in your garden reduces weed germination, retains moisture and reduces the need for watering.
• There are a variety of mulches to fit any look:
  • Cedar Mulch
  • Colored Mulch
  • Pine Bark

 Adjust watering seasonally:

• Adjust the time and frequency of automatic sprinklers seasonally.
• Turn automatic sprinkler system off during rainy periods.

Plant Type

Watering Time

One minute/5 gallons

Large shrubs (4 feet or taller)

Increase watering time by 15 seconds for each foot of height

Trees

Apply 2 gallons for every inch of trunk diameter (measure 4.5 feet above the ground)

Flowers

5 Gallons of water per 10 square feet/1 minute at medium pressure