Okay, so we are experiencing a drought. We should be doing all that we can to conserve water. I want to propose that we can easily save 30 to 50% on our water usage and still have a green healthy lawn and landscape. I know some of you have made up your mind that you are just going to let the lawn go dry which is a big mistake for countless reasons - cost to replace, loss of the benefits of turf such as cooling, filtering, noise abatement, home value, aesthetics. It should not be all or nothing. There are a few great solutions I'd like to share.
First I would start with the sprinklers. Today there are much more efficient heads that will in themselves save 20-30% by providing more uniform coverage and a slower precipitation rate greatly reducing runoff. Toro and Hunter offer some really good upgrades to your old and inefficient heads. Along with this we always recommend regularly checking your system for leaks, coverage, plugged nozzles and the like which offers additional water savings.
Secondly, I would replace or enhance the traditional sprinkler control box to make it a “smarter” clock. There are smart clocks with a weather station or with satellite input that can self-adjust to the weather outside and adjust daily to the needs of the landscape. A cheaper alternative is adding a device that feeds a normal controller historical data and adjusts daily and seasonally so you are not watering the same day after day throughout the spring, summer, and fall regardless of the demand. These steps can easily save 30% or more too.
Finally I would strongly consider the use of quality long-term soil surfactants in the landscape. They will increase the water use efficiency 30% or more by improving water movement into the soil and distribution in the profile. Runoff will be greatly reduced and the soil’s ability to hold more water will significantly increase as well. Assuming there is adequate coverage, localized dry spots will disappear and the plants will find more water throughout the root zone. One treatment can enhance water management up to 4 months. Some claim the addition of polymers and hydrogels into the soil profile will result in 50% water saving over several years. Imagine saving 20-50% on your water bill and doing your part in water conservation and still having a great lawn and healthy plants!
