Are You Ready to Go Green and Save Water in Your Yard?

Resource Landscaping is ready to help Chino Hills, Riverside, Corona, and Rancho Cucamonga go green and conserve water. 

Are you an eco-friendly homeowner? Do you try to conserve water which helps to keep our environment healthy and save money all at the same time? Living in Southern California with only 34 days of rain a year, we know how important it is to conserve water. We also know how important it is to have curb appeal. Let’s try to get both and save money!

Do Irrigation systems save on water?

Having an irrigation system is key to a healthy yard and conserving water. There are different systems available depending on what type of coverage you need in your yard. If you want to water a large area, then a sprinkler system will give the best results. If you want the water to go directly into the soil, you should use a drip irrigation system. 

A Drip Irrigation system is 90-95% more efficient than other methods. It should be 4-6 inches below ground, allowing the water to flow directly into the plant or tree’s root. The drip irrigation system brings the nutrients needed for a healthy growing environment into the soil and away from the leaves. You don’t want the water to sit on the leaves as it can cause diseases to grow and potentially kill off the plant. 

A sprinkler system covers a more extensive area than a drip irrigation system. It uses different nozzle heads, which help target areas of your lawn that need the most water. A disadvantage of a sprinkler system is that it does waste some of the water. Did you know that on a windy, hot day, 80 percent of the water can evaporate? 

We recommend a combination of both systems that will water the surface of your lawn and a drip system that can penetrate deep into the root of your plants and trees. Some systems can be programmed with the touch of a finger using WiFi, which will help you regulate the water flow and keep your yard healthy and green. 

Have you ever heard of Xeriscaping?

Xeriscaping (pronounced-zera-scape) combines the Greek word xeros which means dry, with landscaping. It is a philosophy that uses a combination of native and drought-resistant plants in a mapped-out area so that you can conserve water. Plants are placed within the landscaping by the amount of water needed to keep them flourishing throughout every season. You may hear some people say that if you are interested in xeriscaping, you have to remove all your grass and have a minimal amount of plants. That isn’t necessarily true as you can still have turf grasses and accent them with drought-resistant plants. A few great ideas are to add succulents and blue primrose to your xeriscaping. 

What’s the best way to keep your lawn green and conserve water?

Having a lush green lawn and watering go hand and hand. Knowing when to water is essential to making sure you conserve water and also have a healthy lawn. The best time to water so that it doesn’t evaporate into that hot California sun is between 3-9 am. 

Don’t cut your grass too short. It should be between 1-2 inches to hold the water and keep the weeds out. Weeds are continuously competing with the lawn to get as much moisture out of the ground. 

Different types of grasses will help conserve water. Warm-season grass like St Augustine or Sapphire are turfgrasses that are drought resistant and require minimal water. One tip to always remember is if you step on the grass and it bounces back, you don’t have to add water. 

Have you ever thought about purchasing a Rain barrel?

A rain barrel connects a downspout from the roof to a large container that collects rainwater. The best thing about rainwater is that it doesn’t have lime, chlorine, or calcium, making it an excellent choice to water your flowers and even wash your car. Living in California, we all know the watering restrictions and the drought season make a rain barrel a great option in saving money on your water bill and maintaining a healthy yard. 

To give you an idea of how much you can save, if you take 1 inch of rain hitting a 100 sq ft roof, you can get 60 gallons of rainwater. 

Things to consider when you do have a rain barrel are to make sure you have a debris screen to keep out the mosquitoes. You also want to make sure you use the water within two weeks, so the stagnant water doesn’t cause any odors. 

Should I add compost to the soil?

When you add compost to the soil, it brings nutrients to the soil and helps to contain the moisture into the ground. As we all know, clay soil is very dense, and it doesn’t drain well. This can be very challenging when you are trying to grow a healthy garden. Some composts that work to mix in with clay are fir bark and horticulture lava. Both will loosen the clay and provide aeration and moisture to the soil. Don’t forget the key to a beautiful yard is how healthy the soil is!

Does applying mulch conserve water?

Mulch acts as a blanket to the soil and keeps water contained where you need it the most in the ground. It blocks out that hot California sun and helps the soil stay cooler. It works to minimize the amount of water that will evaporate, directly saving on your water bill. It actually can reduce the amount you need to water by two-thirds. It protects the soil from weeds which are constantly fighting with plants for water.

Saving water and money go hand and hand. So does superior lawn maintenance services and Resource Landscaping. We can provide you with cost-saving tips on irrigation systems and provide outstanding lawn care services.