New Landscape Makes a Yard Feel New Again

If watering your home's landscaping in the summer is making your water bills rise to an uncomfortable level, then you should become more proactive in managing the landscaping's water usage. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to decrease your water bills without negatively impacting the health of your home's landscaping, including each of the following tips:

Tip: Use Drip Irrigation Systems Over Traditional Sprinklers for Plants and Trees

You should never water your yard's plants or trees with sprinklers or by hand with a garden hose. These methods of watering are not the most effective for watering established trees and plants. Instead, you should always water established landscaping with a drip irrigation system.

A drip irrigation system will deliver just the right amount of water to the roots of each plant or tree. Drip irrigation prevents water evaporation because the water drips slowly and is more easily absorbed into the soil. Additionally, drip irrigation systems do not waste water by delivering it only to plants and not to areas where there are rocks or bare soil that do not need it. 

Tip: Adjust Lawn Sprinklers So They Effectively Water Lawn Areas

The best way to water your yard's lawn area is to use sprinklers. Sprinklers on a timer are the best option because you can set them to water during the peak time of the day whether you are home or not. When you choose the sprinklers for your lawn, they should be designed to put out large drops of water that are sprayed out low to the ground. Large drops that are low to the ground prevent premature evaporation of the water.

To use your lawn sprinklers in the most effective manner, make sure that you regularly adjust them so that they do not waste water by spraying it on patios, walkways, or rock covered areas of your landscaping.  

Tip: Replace Your Yard's Mulch Layer Each Spring and Fall Season

Finally, the mulch that you place around your trees and plants to make your yard look "finished" also serves the purpose of helping to hold moisture in your yard's soil. Since the mulch will blow around in the wind and can decompose in the heat and rain, you should replace it as necessary each spring and each fall. By keeping a thick layer of mulch around all of your landscpaing's plans and trees, you will help prevent moisture evaporation and will save on the water necessary to keep your plants healthy.