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Water bills out of control? This landscape thrives on half the water your lawn uses. But how? |
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In some areas, household water bills have gotten way out of control, which can be very discouraging. However, there are some things you can do to lower your costs, inside the home as well as in the garden. The following are the most basic and effective changes you can make to lower the landscape watering portion of your water bill.
1. Remove all but the most necessary areas of lawn. Replace with California Natives and Drought Tolerant plant varieties. This can be quite attractive. Check out sample landscapes and plant information.
2. Drip irrigation is your most efficient method of watering plants when water supply is low or cost is severe (yes, there is a time and place for overhead watering). Drip puts water exactly where you want and by choosing the appropriate drip head you can control how much water per hour is applied. Read more on this and other forms of irrigation.
3. Last, but not least. MULCH, MULCH, MULCH. This one step is so important! After installing your drip irrigation on top of the ground, it is imperative that you apply at least 4 inches of mulch or compost right on top of your soil and drip irrigation system. You can buy mulch relatively inexpensively, make your own with yard trimmings, or use a combination of both. Either way, you will find that mulch this thick will help the ground retain water for longer periods, will reduce weeding to a bare minimum and will slowly release fertilizers to your plants in a more natural fashion (saving money on store bought fertilizers). One point to remember is that the mulch should be pulled back from all plant bases by a few inches or more to avoid fungus/bacterial and related rot problems. Read article on making your own mulch/compost by Kathleen Pyle.
Read more online articles about all of the above.
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