Four Ways to Conserve Water in Your Landscape

By Katherine Drury, Education and Outreach Coordinator

Outdoor watering can account for 50 to 80 percent of home water use in the spring and summer. This may be wasted through inefficient landscape watering practices and poor plant materials. By incorporating waterwise landscaping practices, you can reduce your daily water use, lower your monthly water bill,  and create an outdoor oasis.

Here are some ways to help you transform your yard into a waterwise landscape.

Efficient Irrigation

The best time to irrigate is either in the morning or evening since less water is likely to be lost to evaporation or wind drift. Turn your irrigation system off during wet weather in the spring and summer and freezing temperatures in the winter. Also, be sure to follow any local irrigation restrictions.

Regularly check your sprinkler system to make sure all spray heads are working and are not spraying water onto driveways and sidewalks.  Also, be sure  that your system is not creating water runoff. An annual irrigation audit will help you fine-tune your irrigation practices and ensure that your system is in tip top shape. For more tips on how to conduct an audit, click here.

Reduce Turf Grass

During the summer, most of the water used outdoors is applied to turfgrass. Reduce the amount of water used in your landscape by replacing some of your grassy areas with flower beds filled with waterwise plants. Not only will this help cut down on the amount of water you use in your landscape, but it will create a colorful haven for pollinators.

Plant Selection

When choosing plants for your flower beds, opt for native or drought tolerant plants. They usually require less water and maintenance. Some of our favorite waterwise perennials are Blackfoot Daisy, Gallardia, Gaura, Turks Cap, and Yarrow.

Blackfoot Daisy

Gaillardia

Gaura

Turks Cap

Yarrow

If you are installing a new lawn, choose a grass that uses minimal water. Buffalo grass only needs one-half inch of water per week and has excellent drought tolerance. Bermuda grass needs one full inch per week. Fescue is the thirstiest grass commonly planted in our area, needing one-and-a-half inches of water per week.

Mulch

Few gardening practices are as easy and effective as mulching. It helps reduce the need for additional irrigation to replenish lost moisture that evaporates from the soil. Mulch also reduces annual weed populations, prevents soil compaction, and moderates soil temperatures. Be sure to maintain a three to four-inch layer of mulch year round. Compost, straw or wood chip mulches will deteriorate and add organic matter back to the soil. This can help  increases your soil’s water holding capacity.

 Waterwise landscaping practices are one way that homeowners and businesses can conserve our region’s groundwater resources. For more tips and plant suggestions, be sure to check out our Waterwise Landscaping Fact Sheet.

National Garden Month: Mulch can reduce evaporation & save water

April is National Garden Month! High Plains Underground Water Conservation District (HPWD) reminds gardeners that adding mulch to flowerbeds can help save water by reducing the amount of moisture lost to evaporation.

"Few gardening practices are as effective and easy as mulching," says HPWD Education and Outreach Coordinator Katherine Drury. She is also a Texas Master Gardener.

She said a two to four inch layer of mulch can help reduce the amount of moisture that evaporates from the soil. This, in turn, decreases the amount of additional irrigation needed to replace the lost moisture.

"Mulch provides many benefits to a landscape," said Drury. "It reduces soil compaction and erosion, it keeps soils cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, and it can help reduce annual weed populations that compete with desired plants for water. In addition, mulch improves a home’s curb appeal by giving the landscape a polished look.

There are two categories of mulch: organic and inorganic. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. The type of mulch you choose depends on your overall garden goals.
 

A layer of ORGANIC MULCH can help reduce the amount of moisture evaporating from the soil.

Organic Mulch

Organic mulch is made from materials derived from living matter that will decompose over time. This type of mulch includes wood chips, bark, leaves, composted cotton burrs, and straw.

These items can be found at local garden stores. However, if you are on a tight budget, some municipalities offer free mulch at their recycling facilities. As these mulches break down, you can till the remnants back into the soil to boost its organic matter content and water holding capacity.

Composted cotton burrs are a favorite for gardeners on the South Plains because it is a locally-produced product. “Gin trash”, or the hulls and stems leftover from the ginning process, can be aged and composted to begin the decomposition process. Composted cotton burrs are excellent at holding moisture.

INORGANIC MULCH (granite) covers the landscape next to the rainwater harvesting system at the City of Wolfforth Public Library.

Inorganic Mulch

Inorganic mulches are made from materials that do not decompose. These include crushed granite, river or lava rocks, rubber, plastic sheeting, landscape fabric, and even tumbled glass.

Depending on the type, inorganic mulches are effective in reducing soil evaporation and reducing annual weed populations. These types of mulches do not need to be replenished as frequently as organic mulches.

Rocks, crushed granite and tumbled glass are popular ways to decorate a landscape or fill landscape paths. Instead of pouring concrete or other pavement for garden paths, consider using inorganic mulches to allow water to soak into the soil instead of collecting on nonpermeable hardscapes.
 
As a general rule, maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch year round. Replenish organic mulches every time the garden is replanted or when the mulch layer decomposes by half. If you have a flower bed that tends to flood during rain events, explore heavier or anti-float mulches. Whichever type of mulch you use, make sure not to pile it up around the base of plants or trees.