It is estimated that 25 to 50 percent of all homeowner water use is due to landscape watering. Consequently, there is an increasing interest and need for water-efficient landscaping, often called xeriscaping. It comes from the Greek word for ‘dry’. But we are not talking a dry, barren landscape of cactus, rock gardens and tumbleweeds, although if that floats your boat, go for it! Xeriscape gardens can be lush, verdant oases, filled with sumptuous plantings. The key is proper planning and design, selecting the right, drought tolerant plants for the area (location, location, location), and water-wise watering practices.
One of the simplest, most cost effective things you can do is add organic matter to the soil of shrub and flower beds to increase overall plant health and conserve water. Organic matter increases the soil's ability to absorb and store water in a form available to the plant. Work in 4 to 6 inches of compost, pine bark, peat or rice hulls into the soil. This improves soil quality and reduces the need for watering.
Avoid putting a square peg in a round hole. In other words, select trees, shrubs and groundcovers based on their adaptability to your region's soil and climate conditions. Also, group plants with similar water requirements together in the flower beds or borders. This is called hydrozoning, and simplifies watering to give each type of plant the correct amount of moisture. Place those plants with higher water requirements closer to the house and the low water use plants further away. This reduces the amount of hose dragging to the outer regions of the garden or having to extend irrigation systems beyond what is necessary or affordable.
Most traditional turf grasses require substantially more water than landscape plantings. This is because the roots of most grasses are very shallow and dry out quickly. Reducing the size of your lawn or choosing alternatives to conventional turf grasses such as low water use groundcovers, ornamental grasses, gravel, paving or even a deck, equals a water wise landscape. This tops the list of things you can do to noticeably reduce the amount of watering needed in your landscape The lawn is not the mainstay of a xeriscape garden, rather it is an accent to visually highlight the attractive, drought tolerant plantings or mulched areas.
Mulch is a layer of organic or inorganic material that forms a protective covering over the soil surface around plants. Popular forms of mulch include shredded bark, shredded leaves, pine needles, straw, lava rocks, gravel or landscape fabric. Spreading mulch several inches thick over flower and shrub beds acts like a layer of insulation, keeping the soil cool and slowing down evaporation. This ultimately reduces the amount of water needed to maintain healthy plants. An additional benefit of mulching is that it reduces the amount of weeds in the landscape. Keeping down the number of water grabbing weeds is another way to reduce your water requirements.
Of the tremendous amounts of water applied to lawns and gardens, much of it is never absorbed by the plants and put to use. In water conscious gardens, be sure the water gets to the plant roots, and is not wasted due to run off or irrigation systems that water more pavement than plants. Where possible, install drip irrigation systems. They can be very effective since they more readily get water to the root zone.
Heavy clay soils and sloping landscapes have built in problems with run off. To avoid this, adjust the rate the water is applied. By applying the water more slowly and watering in successive, short intervals to give the water time to soak into the soil, more water will get to the roots in a more efficient manner. For sloping areas, try creating terraces or basins around the plants to prevent or slow down the rate of run-off.
Sprinkler or other irrigation systems with automatic timers are very convenient but can ultimately cause a great deal of water waste if not adjusted properly. You want to avoid watering non-plant areas as well as watering in the middle of a deluge. The key is to adjust the timers, either manually or through automatic sensors so that change in water requirements are taken into account.
Plants need more frequent watering from planting time until becoming well rooted and established in the landscape. This may take two growing seasons. However, once established, watering frequency can be gradually cut back. Deep, but infrequent watering develops deep roots and makes the plants more drought tolerant.
When watering, knowing where to water is as important as knowing when to water. The most effective area to water is around the drip line. This is the area directly below the edges of the outermost branches. You will want to water and fertilize just inside and outside this drip line, not at the trunk. The drip line is where the feeder roots are and where most water and nutrient uptake occurs.
With just a little imagination and effort, you can create a landscaped yard for your home that is water-wise and beautiful as well.
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