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Water Conservation Strategies for the Yard and Garden

Author: Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent

Allison Kosto

MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent

Nearly every day I see an article that addresses concerns about water. The issues range from water aquifers disappearing to lakes and reservoirs at record lows to municipal water infrastructure challenges. Water is now an issue that affects nearly everyone. If it doesn’t now, it will in the future, perhaps sooner than you think. While agriculture often gets the spotlight in water conservation conversations, the reality is that every household plays a role.

According to the EPA, landscape irrigation accounts for about one-third of all residential water use. This equals about 9 billion gallons of water per day! In drier regions of the county, it is as high as 60 percent or more of a household’s total water usage. Furthermore, some studies suggest that as much as 50 percent of irrigation water is wasted due to evaporation, wind or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. Fine-tuning your irrigation system and methods can result in more efficient irrigation and ultimately reduce water usage.

Most people with automatic sprinklers operate on a “set it and forget it” mentality. Instead, use the manual function to water as needed or monitor the weather to adjust your automatic system weekly based on rainfall and temperature. Though the initial investment can be more expensive, smart sensors are available for lawn irrigation systems that utilize weather data or soil moisture to adapt the irrigation schedule. Others can be operated with a smartphone, making it quicker and more convenient to change the irrigation schedule as needed.

If you have an automatic sprinkler system, it is tempting to water every day. However, this is not the best use of water, nor is it healthy for the lawn. Daily watering encourages roots to stay shallow and close to the surface. On hot summer days, you may not be getting enough water on the lawn to withstand drought-like conditions. It’s more efficient to water deeply and less frequently. Established lawns need 1 to 2 inches of water every 3-5 days. This technique teaches the roots to go deeper into the soil profile to be able to withstand drought and hot days better. It will allow for a healthier lawn.

You can determine how much water your lawn is getting with an irrigation audit. A simple method is the “tuna can test.” Place several empty tuna cans under the sprinklers. After irrigation, observe the amount of water in the cans. If the tuna can is full, then you know you’ve delivered at least an inch of water. Another technique is to take a wire and push it into the soil after irrigating. When the wire hits dry soil, it will stop. The moisture should be at least 6 inches deep.

Gardens and landscaped areas are trickier because each plant has different water requirements. For example, potatoes are sensitive to insufficient moisture, but peppers like it hot and dry. If possible, create hydrozones with plants grouped together based on their water requirements. A drip system is ideal because you can control how much water individual sections are getting. A soaker hose is the next best option because it focuses water in a specific area and reduces evaporative losses.

There are other options to conserve water other than adjusting your irrigation system, schedule or method. Changing the plant community to focus on low maintenance turfgrass, native plants, or drought tolerant species can reduce water usage. Even converting just a section of the yard to a natural or low maintenance area can reduce water consumption.

Simply watching your plants will tell you a lot. You’ll know they need water when they wilt, have dull color, or footprints stay compressed in your lawn for more than a few seconds. Another strategy to reduce water loss is to use mulch. Mulch has many benefits including reducing evaporation, increasing water holding capacity, reducing soil temperature, reducing weed growth, and preventing soil erosion.

To reduce water usage, it is also important to fix leaky hoses and faucets, replace hose or sprinkler gaskets, and clean filters. Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation. Set the mower height to 2 inches and leave grass clippings on the lawn. Longer grass and clippings shade the roots, keep soil cool and reduce evaporative loss.

Water conservation takes focused strategies to really make a difference. One part of that may be changing your expectations. For example, it is okay to let your lawn go brown and dormant during the heat of the summer. This happens throughout nature. A healthy lawn will bounce back with fall moisture. Another option might be to focus more water on an area of the lawn that is used more frequently or necessary for wildfire protection and then allow other parts to go dormant.

For more information about water saving strategies, contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County at 406-266-9242 or allison.kosto@montana.edu.