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Water Conservation Tips for your Lawn and Garden

Xeriscaping Principles

  • When sprucing up your front or backyard, use xeriscaping. This landscape method uses low-water-use plants.
  • Choose native species and watch them thrive in our environment – without watering them.
  • Reduce the amount of lawn in your yard by planting shrubs and groundcovers appropriate to your site and our region.
  • Avoid planting grass in areas that are hard to water, such as steep inclines and isolated strips.
  • Plant in the spring and fall, when watering requirements are lower.
  • Group plants with the same watering needs together.
  • For free water, collect water from your roof by installing gutters and downspouts and directing the runoff to plants and trees, or to a rain barrel.
  • Create a rainwater garden. These help catch and filter stormwater runoff.
  • Leave lower branches on trees and shrubs and allow leaf litter to accumulate. This keeps the soil cooler and reduces evaporation.
  • Use a layer of organic mulch on the surface of your planting beds to retain moisture and minimize weed growth, which competes for water. 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch around plants reduces evaporation and saves hundreds of gallons of water a year.
  • Start a compost pile. Using compost in your garden or flower beds adds water-holding organic matter to your soil.
  • Call your local Cornell Cooperative Extension for more information about xeriscaping with water-thrifty trees, plants, and ground covers.
  • Use porous material for walkways and patios to prevent wasteful runoff, and keep that water in your yard.

Lawn & Garden Care Principles

  • Adjust your lawn mower to the height of 1.5 to 2 inches, or ask your landscaper to do so. Taller grass shades roots and holds soil moisture better than short grass.
  • Leave lawn clippings on your grass, or ask your landscaper to; this cools the ground and holds in moisture.
  • Mulch leaves into your grass, or ask your landscaper to. This adds organic matter.
  • When installing a lawn, select a lawn mix or blend that matches your climate and site conditions. Choose grass varieties that need less watering.
  • Aerate your lawn periodically, or ask your landscaper to do so. Holes every six inches will allow water to reach the roots, rather than run off the surface.
  • While fertilizers promote plant growth, they also increase water consumption. Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer needed and be sure your landscaper understands this too.
  • Do not use, or allow your landscaper to use, leaf blowers on your grass or planted areas, as it will deplete topsoil. If you must use them, use them sparingly.
  • Pruning properly can help your plants use water more efficiently.
  • Weed your lawn and garden regularly. Weeds compete with other plants for nutrients, light and water.

Watering

  • Water only when necessary. More plants die from over-watering than from under-watering.
    • Water your plants deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and more drought tolerance.
    • Signs of overwatering: Leaves turn lighter shades of green or yellow, young shoots wilt, and sometimes algae or fungi grow.
    • Use a trowel, shovel, or soil probe to examine soil moisture depth. If the top two to three inches of soil are dry, it’s time to water.
    • Apply water only as fast as the soil can absorb it. If water runs off your lawn easily, split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption.
    • Water dry spots by hand instead of running a whole irrigation system.
    • Use drip irrigation for shrubs and trees to apply water directly to the roots, where it’s needed.
    • For hanging baskets, planters and pots, put ice cubes on top of the soil to give your plants a cool drink of water without overflow.
    • Use a rain barrel to harvest rainwater from gutters for watering gardens and landscapes.
       
  • Pro Irrigation Systems
    • Hire a certified WaterSense Pro to install your irrigation system and keep it working properly and efficiently.
    • Timing is everything when it comes to irrigation. Learn how to set your controller. Adjust your watering schedule each month to match seasonal weather conditions and landscape requirements. 
    • Minimize evaporation by setting watering to occur during the early morning hours when temperatures are cooler (less evaporation that way).
    • Install a rain sensor on your irrigation controller so your system won’t run when it’s raining.
    • Learn how to shut off your automatic watering system in case of malfunctions or rain.
    • Look for WaterSense® labeled irrigation controllers.
    • Periodically check your sprinkler system valves for leaks, and keep sprinkler heads in good shape. Spring is a great time to give your irrigation system a checkup to ensure it’s working efficiently.
       
  • DIY Sprinkler Systems
    • If you don’t have a timed system, set a kitchen timer when using the hose as a reminder to turn it off. A running hose can discharge up to 10 gallons per minute.
    • If walking across the lawn leaves footprints (blades don’t spring back up), then it is time to water.
    • Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning hours when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.
    • Use sprinklers that deliver big drops of water close to the ground. Smaller drops and mist often evaporate before hitting the ground.
    • Don’t water your lawn on windy days when most of the water blows away or evaporates.
    • Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered, and not your house, sidewalk or street.
    • When the kids want to cool off, use the sprinkler in an area where your lawn needs it most.
    • Catch water in an empty tuna can to measure sprinkler output. 3/4 to 1 inch of water is enough to apply each time you irrigate.

Cleaning Things

  • Cars
    • Use a commercial car wash that recycles water. Or, wash your car on the lawn, and you’ll water your grass at the same time!
    • Use a hose nozzle or turn off the water while you wash your car. You’ll save up to 100 gallons every time.
  • Pets
    • Wash your pets outdoors, in an area of your lawn that needs water. When giving your pet fresh water, don’t throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees or shrubs.
    • When cleaning out fish tanks, give the nutrient-rich water to your non-edible plants.
  • The Ground
    • Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, sidewalks and driveways, and save water every time.

If You Have a Pool

  • Use a pool cover to help keep your pool clean, reduce chemical use and prevent water loss through evaporation.
  • Make sure your swimming pools, fountains and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps.
  • If you have an automatic refilling device, check your pool periodically for leaks.
  • You can use a grease pencil to conduct a bucket test to check for pool leaks. Mark the wall at the waterline. An unnatural water level drop may indicate a leak.
  • Minimize or eliminate the use of waterfalls and sprays in your pool. Aeration increases evaporation. Trickling or cascading fountains lose less water to evaporation than those that spray water into the air.
  • Don’t overfill the pool. Lower water levels will reduce water loss due to splashing.
  • Instead of building a private pool, join the community pool.