During growing season, household water use can increase by as much as 200%. By being water smart with lawn care and landscaping, households can drastically decrease their outdoor water use and alleviate some of the strain put on our water supplies during summer months.

Lawn Care

Lawn watering is a major cause of increased water demand in the summer. While lawns do require a lot of water, much of this extra water is wasted through over-watering and evaporation. Use the following tips to minimize your water use and maximize the effectiveness of your lawn care:

• An hour a week of sprinkling or rain is all you need to keep your lawn healthy.
• Let grass grow to 3-5cm to reduce evaporation and allow for root development.
• Leave grass clippings to decompose on your lawn after mowing.
• Water in the morning or evening to avoid evaporation.
• Improve your soil by raking in compost.
• Punch holes in your lawn to aerate the soil.
• Re-seed your lawn with microclover or a water wise grass mix.

Xeriscape

Xeriscaping is a method of low maintenance landscaping which uses native and drought resistant plants to work within environmental conditions. This method can reduce outdoor water use by up to 50%. Use the following principles to create a xeriscape landscape:

• Design a landscape around your yard’s environmental conditions.
• Group plants according to their sunlight and water needs.
• Reduce your lawn size to no more than what is useful.
• Select plants that can tolerate low-water conditions, such as native plant species.
• Improve your soil conditions by incorporating organic matter into it.
• Use mulch to reduce evaporation, control soil temperature, and suppress weeds.
• Water your landscape efficiently.
• Ensure that your landscape is properly maintained.