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Watering
Home » Lawn & Garden » Landscaping - Environmental Landscaping » WateringWater is a precious resource, and people and plants alike need it to survive. Wasted water not only threatens our daily standard of living, but it also costs millions of dollars in necessitated wastewater treatment. Issues of water conservation in landscaping are of particular concern in the western United States where regular droughts put a tremendous strain on the water supply. Whether you're in the western U.S. or not, however, you should work to conserve water by reducing the amount of water you need and by watering efficiently.
The most obvious way to reduce your watering is to limit the size of your lawn. Lawns require more water than almost any other type of landscaping, so reduce the size of your lawn and plant trees and shrubs instead.
In addition, you should landscape using water-conserving/drought-resistant plants. Ask your local nursery to suggest drought-resistant plants, such as buffalo grass and fescue, which do not require as much water as do other grasses. If you do have thirsty plants, plant them together (i.e. separated from drought-resistant plants) and as close to water sources as possible.
In addition, don't water your plants every day. You want your plants to dry out somewhat between waterings, so wait until the plant droops before re-watering. You shouldn't need to water trees and shrubs at all once they develop a solid root system (one to three years). As for grass, wait to water until your footprint leaves an indentation, indicating that the grass has lost its strength.
When you do water, however, water deeply and cover the entire root zone. Water in the morning or the evening so that the midday sun won't evaporate the water immediately. In addition, if you use sprinklers or other automatic watering systems, make sure you're not accidentally watering the pavement, and if rain comes, shut off the sprinkler.
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