When it comes to water management in our landscape, we must think long-term. Our current dry weather will someday end. However, our demand for water will continue to grow as our population increases. We must be water-wise with our landscape.

Water-wise landscapes not only save water, but they save time by requiring less routine care than most traditional landscapes. Plants in a water-wise landscape are carefully selected for the site and grouped together according to their water needs. Then, cultural practices are used to maximize the soil’s ability to hold water and to minimize water loss.

A goal in managing a water-wise landscape is to conserve moisture in the soil and reduce evaporative water loss. A few tips for a water-wise landscape are as follows:

Mulching Is A Must!
Mulch is a great asset in a water-wise landscape. Organic mulches, such as pine straw, pine bark mulch or shredded hardwood mulch, conserve water. These fine-textured mulches hold moisture in the soil, yet they are porous enough to allow water to infiltrate into the soil. Unfortunately, organic mulches decompose, shrink in volume, and need replenishing regularly.

For best water conservation, maintain 3 to 5 inches of mulch on the soil surface at all times. Generally, one bale of pine straw covers 50 square feet when applied to a 5-inch depth. One cubic yard (14-2 cubic feet bags) of bark mulch covers 100 square feet to a 3-inch depth.

Aeration Helps The Flow:
Turfgrass specialists recommend aerating lawns at least once a year. A lawn aerator makes holes in the turfgrass approximately 2 to 4 inches deep and ½-inch wide. Aeration improves the percolation and movement of water and nutrients into the soil, decreases run-off and encourages the roots of turfgrass to grow deeply and to become more drought tolerant.

Water Only Plants That Need It:
When hand watering, make certain you apply water slowly at a rate the soil can absorb. If water starts running off the site, you are applying it too rapidly.

Keep Weeds At Bay:
Weeds not only make the landscape unattractive, they compete with plants for moisture and nutrients. Although mulch helps prevent weeds, inevitably, some hand weeding or herbicide spraying is necessary. Some garden centers sell pre-emergent herbicides that prevent annual weeds from sprouting from seed. These are normally applied in late winter to prevent spring and summer weeds, and again in late summer to prevent fall and winter weeds. Landscape fabrics, available in some garden centers, can be placed under mulch to serve as an added barrier to weeds.

By changing the traditional ways we manage our landscape is not just a trend it is our future.