How to water your lawn efficiently

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Americans use an average of 100 gallons of water each day. That would fill 1,600 drinking glasses! A large part of our water usage happens in our yards. Landscape irrigation wastes up to 1.5 billion gallons of water every day in America. Here are some ways to stop wasting and start watering your lawn efficiently.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Water your lawn and garden during the cooler hours of the day. This reduces evaporation.

2. Talk with an EPA certified irrigation professional. They can help you reduce the amount of water you use for irrigation by 15 percent. According to the EPA that equals out to nine-thousand gallons a day. To put that into perspective, that is the same amount of water you would waste if you left the hose running for an entire day.

3. Don't use misting sprinklers. Look for sprinklers that produce droplets instead or use a soaker hose.

4. Put mulch around plants and trees. This will prevent evaporation and help deter weeds that will steal water from your plants.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant native plants that grow naturally in your climate. They will be used to the normal amount of rainfall and require less water.
• <br>Don't cut your grass as short. Longer blades of grass have longer roots which retain moisture better.
• <br>Test your soil for moisture. Use an electronic soil tester or dig a small hole to investigate the soil.
• Use less fertilizer. Fertilizer will increase the grass's need for water.
• <br>Don't water the street or sidewalk. Make sure your sprinkler system is hitting the correct area.