Home Gardening

Plan and Plant to Save Water
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - July 7, 2008

July has been named Smart Irrigation Month by the Irrigation Association to bring attention to the importance irrigating effectively as well as efficiently. This month I will focus on landscape irrigation practices for the homeowner.

Saving water when irrigating the landscape can be accomplished whether you have an automatic system or not. The following are tips that help you save both water AND money.

Aeration: it is a good practice to aerate your lawn and garden once a year. This helps keep the soil from being compacted and increases water penetration. The addition of compost and other organic matter will improve soil water characteristics and will even decrease the amount of irrigation needed because your landscape plants will develop more complex root systems.

Mulching: In an earlier column I spoke of the value of using mulch in the landscape. A layer 2-4” thick will reduce soil temperature, reduce evaporation, and control weeds.

Native plants: Purchase native plant species. Native plants generally have water requirements that match environmental conditions.

Hydro-zones: Group your landscape plants in beds that have similar water requirements. There is nothing more frustrating than to plant drought tolerant species next to water loving plants. It is impossible to be successful with either in the same bed.

Planting times: Plant during times when there is less water stress, such as spring and fall. Fall is a great time for planting shrubs and trees as these plants receive the benefit of growing through the fall and spring before the hot summer months. Plant perennials in early spring in smaller sizes that will require less water.

Maintenance: Keep your lawn mowed, landscape beds weeded, and trees and shrubs prunes. A well maintained yard requires less water.

Written by Dr. Gary R. Bachman, Assistant Extension Professor of Horticulture, Coastal Research & Extension Center.