Its the time of year when we turn on our sprinklers!

Its that time of year when we turn on our sprinklers!

Water conservation is a difficult topic. It is an area where needs, wants and desires are blurred into endless shades of gray, especially in times of plenty. I’ve heard in some countries they measure how much water a plant needs by the drop. They have to. Maybe we will someday too… My research shows that for most of us, the biggest reason we kill our plants and grass is that we saturate it with water to the point that the roots don’t get any oxygen and we create small swamp lands on our property.

In the Rocky Mountain western region of the United States of America, close to 60% of the water we use is used in our yards. Most of this is used to keep our lawn green. So, what can be done? What is a reasonable step to sustainability to take today?

Here are a few ideas:

• Xeriscape areas of grass that do not ‘need’ to be areas of grass for you. Xeriscaping includes using native plants that thrive on the seasonal water we get from rain and snow fall. Email me at Ken@nextlevelproperty.net to schedule a time to get a quote on Xeriscaping!

• The next biggest opportunity for water conservation related to outdoor water use is adjusting your sprinkler system seasonally. In the spring, you only need a couple of days of water per week, it is OK if your lawn is not the greenest the fastest, really it is. You simply need to increase the minutes of water as the temperature increases and you see what your lawn needs. If we get a large rain storm, adjust your sprinkler usage accordingly. Don’t waste water, by watering twice! In the late summer as temperatures decrease again, adjusts the minutes downward again… Providing plants and grass with the water they need will grow healthier plants and grass!

• Pay attention to what different areas of your lawn need. The more sun exposure, the more water, the less sun exposure, the less water… Zone by zone self auditing can save a lot of water! In addition, adjust sprinkler heads to water the grass… and not the cement or rocks…

• Cluster watering: This is probably the strangest concept to most of us urban dwellers. But, it is actually better for grass and plants to get a few deep waterings, clustered together and then for them to get water for a few minutes every other day. This entices the grass and plants to develop deeper, healthier root systems. Healthier root systems = healthier plants. So, instead of 15 minutes every other day, try different things on your lawn, like 20 minutes two times a week, or 30 minutes one day, three days with no water and then 25 minutes or 30 minutes, then three days off again… Adjust as needed… see what works for your plant needs.

Finally, just think of ways to use less water and you will. Every drop counts and every drop saved adds up.