Tips for Saving Water for Your Landscaping

<h1>Tips for Saving Water for Your Landscaping</h1>Author: <a title="Sandra Dinkins-wilson" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/sandra-dinkins-wilson/2082.htm">Sandra Dinkins-wilson</a> Do you find your water bill going up each month you water your landscaping along with the rest of your bills? You might even question just how much water your landscaping really needs. Perhaps it's time for you to think about how to make your watering more efficient so you have beautiful landscaping but save water as well.
To water our landscaping, we use either some type of automated sprinkler system or a sprinkler that is dragged from spot to spot. Right from the big corporations right down to the homeowner with just a speck of a lawn, most people use or want to use some type of automated watering system. You have probably seen water from automated sprinkler systems running off the grass and running down the street. I don't know about you, but here in the arid West, when I see this, it makes me quite angry. This even can be seen in droughts where a typical homeowner may have to water his plants with saved waste water from inside his home. This is not exactly an efficient use of water. All around the country there are problems with having clean water. It just doesn't make sense to waste water.
Yet most landscaping owners use an inefficient and wasteful watering system. Here are a few tips to make watering your landscaping more efficient and less wasteful.
Watering systems for your landscaping vary. Find one that is most efficient for your needs. A good rule of thumb is that the larger the water drop delivered and the closer to the ground the better it is. Using a system that delivers a fine spray up into the air will lose much of the water to evaporation and to wind.
Surprisingly, hand held hose watering was found to be the most water-efficient way to provide moisture to your landscaping. It uses 33% less water than the average household uses to water their plants.
Studies found that of the automated watering systems, in ground sprinkler systems used 35% more and those with automatic timers use 47% more water than places that did not use such automated systems. These timesaving devices aren't saving you money or water.
Adding rain sensors, or better yet, soil sensors to your automated watering system saves water. You don't end up with the sprinkler system coming on in the middle of a rainstorm or right after one when the ground is already soaked.
Automated drip irrigation systems were found to be more efficient in the study using only 16% more than used by non-automated watering households. Add the above sensors and you will have an even better system.
Perhaps the best tip is to not over water. This goes to more than not watering after a rainstorm. It includes watering to your landscaping plants' specific moisture requirements. Consider including less water intensive plantings in your landscaping. It means watering, as your soil requires. Adjust your watering schedule from that needed in the high temperatures of summer to the less watering needed in fall as temperatures go down.
Copyright 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson
About the Author: Want landscaping tips and information? Check out our <a href="http://www.landscaping-and-gardening.info/">Landscaping and Gardening</a> info website at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.landscaping-and-gardening.info.">http://www.landscaping-and-gardening.info.</a> Get all the latest information in the world of landscaping.Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-for-saving-water-for-your-landscaping-7438.html" title="Tips for Saving Water for Your Landscaping">Tips for Saving Water for Your Landscaping</a>

Do you find your water bill going up each month you water your landscaping along with the rest of your bills? You might even question just how much water your landscaping really needs. Perhaps it's time for you to think about how to make your watering more efficient so you have beautiful landscaping but save water as well.

To water our landscaping, we use either some type of automated sprinkler system or a sprinkler that is dragged from spot to spot. Right from the big corporations right down to the homeowner with just a speck of a lawn, most people use or want to use some type of automated watering system. You have probably seen water from automated sprinkler systems running off the grass and running down the street. I don't know about you, but here in the arid West, when I see this, it makes me quite angry. This even can be seen in droughts where a typical homeowner may have to water his plants with saved waste water from inside his home. This is not exactly an efficient use of water. All around the country there are problems with having clean water. It just doesn't make sense to waste water.

Yet most landscaping owners use an inefficient and wasteful watering system. Here are a few tips to make watering your landscaping more efficient and less wasteful.

Watering systems for your landscaping vary. Find one that is most efficient for your needs. A good rule of thumb is that the larger the water drop delivered and the closer to the ground the better it is. Using a system that delivers a fine spray up into the air will lose much of the water to evaporation and to wind.

Surprisingly, hand held hose watering was found to be the most water-efficient way to provide moisture to your landscaping. It uses 33% less water than the average household uses to water their plants.

Studies found that of the automated watering systems, in ground sprinkler systems used 35% more and those with automatic timers use 47% more water than places that did not use such automated systems. These timesaving devices aren't saving you money or water.

Adding rain sensors, or better yet, soil sensors to your automated watering system saves water. You don't end up with the sprinkler system coming on in the middle of a rainstorm or right after one when the ground is already soaked.

Automated drip irrigation systems were found to be more efficient in the study using only 16% more than used by non-automated watering households. Add the above sensors and you will have an even better system.

Perhaps the best tip is to not over water. This goes to more than not watering after a rainstorm. It includes watering to your landscaping plants' specific moisture requirements. Consider including less water intensive plantings in your landscaping. It means watering, as your soil requires. Adjust your watering schedule from that needed in the high temperatures of summer to the less watering needed in fall as temperatures go down.

Want landscaping tips and information? Check out our Landscaping and Gardening info website at http://www.landscaping-and-gardening.info. Get all the latest information in the world of landscaping.

Rate this Article:

0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)

Re-Publish

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-for-saving-water-for-your-landscaping-7438.html

Article Tags: Water, Landscaping, Watering, Watering Systems

Related Articles
Related Q&A

Latest Gardening Articles
More from Sandra Dinkins-wilson

Hydroponics, A New Kind of Indoor Gardening

By: Iris Caesar | 06/01/2010
http://www.hydroponicsgroup.com Hydroponics gives you complete control over weather, nutrients and lighting meaning you get consistent, guaranteed drops.

Indoor Pest Control for Hydroponics

By: Barbara E. Volkov | 05/01/2010
Indoor pest control for hydroponics is very important for a successful healthy vegetable crop. There are several types of indoor pest control products on the market but the best for hydroponic gardening is organic or those intended for hydroponics.

Growing Hyacinths Bulbs

By: Paul Kramer | 05/01/2010
In order to grow hyacinths on compost, place a thin layer of grit at the bottom of your chosen container. If the container has no drainage holes, use a specially prepared indoor bulb fiber. Use ordinary potting compost or soil mix if there are adequate drainage holes in the container. Add bulb fiber or compost to within 2 inches of the rim. Plant the hyacinth bulbs with the bottom half of the bulb in compost and the top half exposed.

Growing Hyacinths on Water

By: Paul Kramer | 05/01/2010
Hyacinths have been grown on water for many years, including in plain glass jars with narrow necks, and as long as you can ensure that the base of the bulb with not actually touch the water into which the roots grow, you can use almost any type of container. This includes the specially made vases that have a cup shaped compartment in which the bulb can sit securely above the water.

The Heart Of Biodynamic Gardening

By: Sutiyo Na | 05/01/2010
There is a good cliché that stays that everything happens for a reason. Leaders in every part of the planet show their stuff in order bring forth a good change to certain part of society. Inventions were brought to life by genius minds in order to uplift the lives of many. Happenings such as these with great magnitude can be aptly compared to the presence of basic industrial and agricultural methods. Just like any other technique, biodynamic gardening and farming was born in order to give way...

The Path Of Biodynamic Gardening

By: Sutiyo Na | 05/01/2010
The success of a certain group can be achieved in so many ways. There is passion. There is trust. And there is the need for a system. The agricultural circles abide by these principles. This is how, through the years, more and more important changes have brought forth positive results to their production. Let’s take a look at the path of biodynamic gardening and find out how its systematic and holistic approach is practiced by many of its supporters.

A Biodynamic Gardening Avenue

By: Sutiyo Na | 05/01/2010
Man has been proven throughout the years of history to have unmatched character. He is able to withstand all sorts of trials and trying times in order to continue survival and propagation. This can be attributed to the ability of inculcating innovative changes into his surroundings so as to maximize the functionality of every resource available. Let’s take a look at how the agricultural people enhance the usefulness of the soil in biodynamic gardening and farming via the presence of compost...

New at Garden Hedging? Read This First!

By: Hank Gordon | 05/01/2010
You don't need an expensive professional landscaping company for every landscaping job, there are many jobs you can perfectly do yourself. Any homeowner with a few helpful tips can get started with garden hedging and get them looking just the way they want them. With the right tools, and some...

Shade Gardening for Color

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 04/07/2006 | Gardening
If thoughts of shade gardening bring about visions of densely wooded landscaping with plantings under trees in various shades of green, then this article is for you. You should know that there are all types of shade possible for shade gardening. These various levels of shade allow you to have lots of color as...

Plants for Your Butterfly Gardening Plans

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 25/06/2006 | Gardening
Gardening is a wonderful pastime that creates beauty outside our homes as well as enchanting flowers and plants to decorate inside our homes. If we add the extra element of butterflies, those flying jewels, to our gardening efforts, all the better. This article will give you a couple basic butterfly gardening plans and tips to...

6 Things You Need to Know Before Planting a Garden

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 04/05/2006 | Gardening
Sooner or later, it seems most everyone wants to try his or her hand at creating a garden. By doing a little gardening, we can not only improve the looks and value of our homes, but our outlook as well. Before we can start, there are a few things we need to determine to make our efforts...

Planting Annuals in the Springtime Garden

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 24/04/2006 | Gardening
You've gotten the itch to plant a few flowers this year. So you decide to pick up a few pots of flowers to take home and stick in the ground. What kind of flowers did you get? More than likely, you picked...

Business Card Printing Offers Online

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 10/03/2006 | Home Business
The cheapest and most dependable business card printing offers that are online today typically are offered through a "free" special of sorts where the card printing supplier will offer you a stack of...

Dog Grooming - Nails, Ears and Teeth

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 11/12/2005 | Pets
Dog grooming includes not only brushing and bathing your puppy or dog but continues with his nails, ears and teeth. If these are not taken care of, there is a potential for health problems. Think of these dog grooming points as preventive health care an

Dog Grooming - Brushing and Bathing

By: Sandra Dinkins-wilson | 02/12/2005 | Pets
Dog grooming is the basis for preventive health care for your dog and puppy. It gives you a chance to see small changes in and on your dog's body that could lead to health concerns such as...