How to Save Water With Your Sprinkler Or Irrigation System
Your irrigation system is a major consumer of water and anything that you can do to reduce the volume of water used is a benefit to your pocket as well as the environment.
Schedule for efficiency
The best time of day to use your sprinkler or irrigation system is in the early morning. Not only are the plants more receptive to moisture at these times it also saves you water because the soil will retain the moisture for longer.
Once the sun has moved past the horizon the irrigation system becomes more efficient and starts using the water much more efficiently. To retain the moisture in the soil an easy way to encourage deep root growth is to just cover the area with mulch. The more organic material you can add to the growing area the better the growth of your plants.
Never stop feeding your plants
No matter what form of life they are designed to survive, plants require sufficient amounts of water to sustain growth. Not many plants can exist without the correct irrigation. Irrigation is required for the agriculture, gardening, and hydroponics industry.
Most of the cultivated soils in the deserts of the southwest do not have adequate water retention to make it possible to grow the types of plants used in I.e. landscaping, flowers, and garden plants.
Because of this lack of proper moisture retention most desert plants are not able to develop deep root systems. If the root system is too deep the plant will not be able to handle the fluctuations in moisture that occur naturally either with drought or the sprinkler system.
The deep root system of the plants you choose to grow will also be dependent on the type of soil in your yard. Soil built with a lot of organic material will have a much higher percentage of organic matter compared to sandier soil.
A better understanding of organic gardening will help you to select the right plants for your area.
Selecting a soil amendment with a high percentage of organic matter will change the soil structure of your garden allowing for healthier plants. A high percentage of organic matter will help to retain the moisture needed so the roots are never threatened by drought. Using loamy soil will increase the humus content to allow the deep root system of the plants to thrive.
A soil amendment that can add organic matter to the soil is compost. A high enough percentage of organic matter will enable the soil to retain moisture for the plants and will add the nutrients needed for the plants to thrive.
If you do not have access to compost in your area it can be purchased online at many garden suppliers. Many garden suppliers offer a delivery service and will deliver your soil to you ready to transplant.
Mulching
Mulch is much more than just a decorative dressing. Keeping the moisture in your soil and the weeds out will greatly reduce the amount of work you need to do to control weeds. Mulch also controls the soil's temperature. If your soil is cold it will inhibit the growth of the deep-rooted weeds and limit the damage they would inflict on your garden.
The most attractive mulch you can use is a decorative mulch such as stone bark purchased in decorative shapes and textures in your local garden center or online.
If you'd prefer to keep your mulch normal rather than decorative, you can use one of many chipper shredders. These handheld shredders are great for creating uniform mulch for your garden. You can also chop up huge amounts of mulch and shred it by hand, keeping a special area in your garden for the shredding. If you have a large amount of grass or perennial weeds to control, the chipper shredder is the tool for you.
Another attractive mulch option available to gardeners is decorative wood chips or wood chips. Wood chips and decorative wood adds a decorative accent to your garden. When first installing wood chips do a bit of research to determine the type of wood you have to ensure you are purchasing real wood. Some woods are planted incorrectly and this causes the wood to shift and warp. This could cause rotting and being ruined.
Decorative stones are widely available in many styles and shapes. Decorative stone is something you can find in many landscapes today and can be used as-is, or you can specifically design them to be used as accents to your landscape.
extras that you may want to get for your garden and yard include garden gnomes, yard finials, plant stakes, statues, birdbaths, wind chimes, stepping stones, plant ties, and water elements like a fountain.
Getting one of these extras can make your garden a place you always remember being taken care of, and will give you a sense of pride as you view the fruits of your labor.
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