Water Conservation: Garden Water Savings
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by: PhilTheGardener | Total views: 77 | Word Count: 405
It is up to each one of us to do our part to conserve on water . Water conservation is a hot topic in a lot of areas around the country, especially during a drought.
As the weather changes from one season to the next water requirements for plants, lawns, trees, and shrubs change also. They don't take in as much water as the temperatures cool with the shorter days. Of course the same goes with the change from winter to spring to summer as the temperature rises with longer days more water is required. It's not only the temperature but also the water requirements decrease as plants go into dormancy.
When you take a walk through your neighborhood you'll notice that some people don't bother to reprogram their sprinkler system timer for the changes in weather.
You can save a lot of water by adjusting your sprinkler timer according to the needs of your yard, and especially if you have a meter you're being billed for every drop of water that you are using.
You can prepare your plants to flourish without having to flood them. Some soil preparation and water management can train your plants to do well in most situations.
In drier areas of the country where irrigation is a necessity a lot of cities have water restrictions and enforce them.
Check with your local water district to see what days you are allowed to water at your address. The schedules are generally odd and even days with the odd-numbered addresses taking one side of the street and the even-numbered addresses take the other.
After you've made the necessary adjustments to your sprinkler timer to set it for the allowed watering days go through each sprinkler zone and adjust the run time for the plant material you are applying water on. Most new sprinkler timers allow you to set multiple watering cycles. By setting multiple cycles you can put less time on each cycle and allow the water to soak in rather than run off.
Turn on each zone and inspect your sprinklers to make sure you don't have any broken heads or plugged nozzles and that the water spray is adjusted correctly. Check each area to make sure it is not too wet or too dry and make the necessary adjustments to correct any problems.
Hand water dry spots for new plantings instead of running that zone this will save water.
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Learn how Phil The Gardener provides helpful gardening video and audio tips as he hands gardening ideas from his shovel to your shovel.
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