Blog posts tagged with 'rain'

July is Smart Irrigation Month, which reminds us that to be wise in how we irrigate our Landscapes and Gardens areas. Water is our most precious resource. It is very important to conserve our water during the hot summer months and when in drought areas of the country. Conserving your water will save you money as the price of water continues to rise.

Here are some smart ways to water your garden or landscape:

You don't need to water your lawn every day. During the summer months you only need to water every five to seven days. Your lawn only needs about one inch of water a week. You can buy a rain gauge to help keep track of how much water your grass is getting. The best time to water your lawn and plants is early in the morning or at night when the temperature is lower.

Mister Landscaper sells a timer that you can set to water your landscapes & garden beds when you want to. This will make smart watering very easy and avoid over or underwatering your plants. Mister Landscaper also sells a DIY easy to install low-flow Micro and Drip Irrigation kits that will use 50% to 70% less water then standerd irrigation. This will help keep the green in your garden as well as in your wallet! In the long run you will save water, time and money. Using mulch or graound cover also helps to retain moisture in the soil which means you have to water less overall.

For Smart Irrigation Month Mister Landscaper created a coloring book as a fun way to help teach kids about how to water wisely.  You can download it by clicking this link.

Some other simple tips to save water and re-use it in the garden are...

If you are going to take a bath use the water after you are done to water your plants.

If you take a shower put a bucket in the shower to catch the water. When you are done use it to water your plants.

Rain Barrels, we have all heard of them.  Getting one set up is not that hard, and you can use Micro and Drip Irrigation with them. Companies like Aqua Barrel make small pumps that cary the water in the barrel's to attached hoses for easy use.  Check them out at http://www.aquabarrel.com

If you have any other smart watering tips you can join us on Facebook. We would love to hear from you.

http://www.facebook.com/MisterLandscaper

I want to wish all of you a smart watering day.

Take a look at the U.S. Drought Map below. It is easy to see that  much of the country is currently experiencing some kind of drought condition. In certain areas the conditions are mild, and in some of them things are more extreme and unusual. The map above shows the parts of the country that are experiencing water shortages as of May 1st of this year.

If you find yourself in one of these areas, what can you do to compensate for the lack of water, while continuing to keep your plants, not only alive but healthy and thriving?

Below we have a simple list of things that will help any garden or landscape thrive in a less-than-adequate watering environment. 

• Use correct watering techniques: Water early in the day or late in the evening to reduce evaporation loss. Water less frequently, but for longer lengths of time, to encourage deep root growth. Check hoses for leaks before watering plants, and position sprinklers so they water only plants -- not the road or house. Some simple adjustments can save water and reduce runoff.
   
• Condition the soil: If you add organic matter to clay and sandy soils, it will increase the penetrability of clay soils and the water-holding capacity of sandy soils.
   
• Mulch the soil surface: This helps cut down on water loss due to evaporation. A two-inch layer of mulch or compost is recommended. Apply mulches to shrubs, trees, annuals, vegetable gardens and even containers.
   
• Collect compost for mulching: Use food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic waste to create a compost pile. Compost is a rich soil amendment that can help increase water retention, decrease erosion and replace chemical fertilizers.
   
• Shelter container plants to conserve water: Move your container plants to areas with partial shade to keep them from drying quickly in hot windy areas.
   
• Install a drip irrigation or micro irrigation system: A low-flow irrigation system can save up to 70 percent of all water used in garden care, making it a feasible way to water in drought conditions. Also many areas allow low-flow irrigation in gardens and landscapes even when there are watering restrictions.
   
• Discourage competition: Pull any weeds to discourage competition for water. Consider a landscape fabric between the soil and your mulch to further reduce weeds.
   
• Use rain barrels to collect rainwater: By using rain barrels to collect water you can eliminate the need to suck up water from your utility, but rather use what nature has given to keep your plants thriving when rain is more scarce. 

If you do all of these things, it will have an impact on your garden and landscape. It will also help when the rain is not falling quite as much as you need it too.