| Do you find your water bill going up each month you | | | | system that delivers a fine spray up into the air will |
| water your landscaping along with the rest of your | | | | lose much of the water to evaporation and to wind. |
| bills? You might even question just how much water | | | | Surprisingly, hand held hose watering was found to |
| your landscaping really needs. Perhaps it's time for | | | | be the most water-efficient way to provide moisture |
| you to think about how to make your watering more | | | | to your landscaping. It uses 33% less water than the |
| efficient so you have beautiful landscaping but save | | | | average household uses to water their plants. |
| water as well. | | | | Studies found that of the automated watering |
| To water our landscaping, we use either some type | | | | systems, in ground sprinkler systems used 35% more |
| of automated sprinkler system or a sprinkler that is | | | | and those with automatic timers use 47% more |
| dragged from spot to spot. Right from the big | | | | water than places that did not use such automated |
| corporations right down to the homeowner with just | | | | systems. These timesaving devices aren't saving you |
| a speck of a lawn, most people use or want to use | | | | money or water. |
| some type of automated watering system. You | | | | Adding rain sensors, or better yet, soil sensors to |
| have probably seen water from automated sprinkler | | | | your automated watering system saves water. You |
| systems running off the grass and running down the | | | | don't end up with the sprinkler system coming on in |
| street. I don't know about you, but here in the arid | | | | the middle of a rainstorm or right after one when the |
| West, when I see this, it makes me quite angry. This | | | | ground is already soaked. |
| even can be seen in droughts where a typical | | | | Automated drip irrigation systems were found to be |
| homeowner may have to water his plants with | | | | more efficient in the study using only 16% more than |
| saved waste water from inside his home. This is not | | | | used by non-automated watering households. Add |
| exactly an efficient use of water. All around the | | | | the above sensors and you will have an even better |
| country there are problems with having clean water. | | | | system. |
| It just doesn't make sense to waste water. | | | | Perhaps the best tip is to not over water. This goes |
| Yet most landscaping owners use an inefficient and | | | | to more than not watering after a rainstorm. It |
| wasteful watering system. Here are a few tips to | | | | includes watering to your landscaping plants' specific |
| make watering your landscaping more efficient and | | | | moisture requirements. Consider including less water |
| less wasteful. | | | | intensive plantings in your landscaping. It means |
| Watering systems for your landscaping vary. Find one | | | | watering, as your soil requires. Adjust your watering |
| that is most efficient for your needs. A good rule of | | | | schedule from that needed in the high temperatures |
| thumb is that the larger the water drop delivered and | | | | of summer to the less watering needed in fall as |
| the closer to the ground the better it is. Using a | | | | temperatures go down. |