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!
Water is indeed very precious and so is your outdoor
landscape. Taking on one, two, or all
three of these steps will save water and your investment. If you have any questions about conserving water
please call Weed Man at 266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com. Aqua Man Irrigation Solutions can upgrade
your sprinklers and controllers. Call them at 475-7777.
If you want to abandon your lawn and want to explore if artificial turf
is right for you, then Grass Creations with 14 years of experience and a proud installer of TigerTurf would be a great place to call at 475-7700.
Green is always prettier than brown.