Disclosure: Post sponsored by Pennington Smart Seed, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure. All opinions are 100% my own.
Are you living in drought conditions? I know that here in Texas, 99% of the state is currently experiencing some sort of drought. 99%! They are saying it is one of the worst year’s ever. We live on a lake and the water is so far down that the nearby beach we frequent hardly has enough water to swim.
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10 Tips to Reduce Water Usage
If you are trying to maintain your yard in the upcoming months, be wise when it comes to ways to reduce water usage. Up to 50% of the water used outdoors is wasted due to inefficient watering methods and maintenance practices. There are plenty of ways you can reduce water usage, so let’s get started with these 10 tips:
- Capture the Rain: Think about it. Where else can you get water so easily–without it costing you a thing. Set a bucket under the gutter or invest in a rain barrel. If nothing else, try to direct the rain water to a flower bed or tree base. It is free and being used the way nature intended.
- Drip Irrigation System: Instead of a water hose or sprinkler, look for a drip irrigation system to minimize water loss due to evaporation and improve efficiency.
- Water in Morning or Late Evening: Watering our lawn during the cooler parts of the day also helps reduce evaporation. Not to mention, by watering in the morning, you can help prevent fungus growth and it is your best defense against garden pests. Also make sure to note the wind when watering. Wind increases the chance of water evaporation.
- Organic Mulch: Using a layer of organic mulch around plants aids them in absorbing water as well as retaining moisture. Clippings from mulching mowers can also result in the same results.
- Save Rinse Water: Do you rinse your fruits and veggies before eating them? Hold onto the run off water and recycle it into houseplants or the yard.
- Adjust Sprinklers: If you must use sprinklers, adjust them so that they are watering the yard and not the driveway or sidewalk. Plus, only use the water sprinklers for large areas of grass and leave the smaller areas to manual watering. Be sure to monitor the wind when using sprinklers.
- Water-Efficient Plants: Choose plants and grass appropriate for your yard and geographic region. Utilize grass seed that requires less water. Lawns are more resilient during periods of drought and easier to maintain. Consider a pure bred, drought-tolerant seed, like Pennington Smart Seed, which stays green for up to three weeks without water and requires 30 percent less water year after year versus ordinary seed. The varieties in every bag were developed to help you establish a fuller, healthier and greener lawn, while efficiently using natural resources.
- Drought-Resistant Yard: Group plants in your yard according to their watering needs. Also, water your plants deeper into the roots, but less frequently to help encourage deep root growth as well as drought tolerance.
- Slow Release Fertilizer: Be sure to supply your plants with the essential nutrients they need for strength, uniform growth and a healthy, fibrous root system. A minimum amount of slow release fertilizer will aid in that nutrition and promote a drought tolerant yard.
- Broom Clean: Are you guilty of using the water hose to clean the sidewalks after watering your yard? My last and final tip is simple enough, turn off the water hose and grab the broom. Sweep away the dirt, grass, and other debris from the walkway and save the water for the yard.
