How to Save Water on the Garden and the Yard

The ideal front lawn has green grass, but you need a lot of sunlight and water to achieve that lushness. Can landscaping be done sustainably? This is a valid question because it can take a lot of natural resources. When you are coming up with your landscaping plans, it is a good idea to take into consideration water conservation techniques to offset your impact on the environment.

The Earth’s Water

Even though 71 percent of the planet is water, freshwater amounts to no more than 3 percent. Of this, 2.5 percent is found in the atmosphere, soil, glaciers, and the like. This means that only 0.5 percent is available for consumption. As you can imagine, it is of utmost importance to conserve as much water as we can. This is even truer in states that suffer from droughts.

When we conserve water, we also help save the environment in other ways. The Balance Small Business reported that lower water usage leads to lower energy used to process and distribute it. In turn, this helps bring down pollution and saves fuel resources.

Landscaping and Conserving Water

The University of Massachusetts Amherst said that a landscaping method called “xeriscaping” is good for conserving water. It involves these seven steps:

Design Effectively

You should take the time to choose which plant to put in a specific spot. This also includes grouping together those that have similar needs in the name of effectiveness and efficiency.

Improve soil

It is important to improve the soil of your garden or lawn with the addition of compost, manure, or rotting leaves.

Turf areas

Drought-tolerant grass will be helpful when it comes to water conservation. You should avoid isolated turf strips since they are known to waste water.

Utilize mulches

Organic mulches prevent water evaporation from the soil. On top of that, they prevent the growth of weed that competes with your grass and plants for resources.

Irrigate Efficiently

Arrange the sprinkler system so that it can irrigate the plants as efficiently as possible. This will conserve water and save you money at the same time.