| August is typically the hottest month of the summer and that’s often reflected in our water bills! Here are 5 ways you can save water without doing an entire landscape renovation. |
Learn your irrigation controller. The temperature changes throughout the growing season. Your watering schedule should change with it. Newer “smart” controllers have many options to adjust the schedule for you. If your sprinkler timer is older, you will have to be the smart one who knows how it works and adjusts it regularly.
“Cycle and soak” irrigation means you’ll water for a short time, let that water soak in, and then water again. This method avoids runoff and is very effective on the heavy, clay soil in our region.
Avoid watering in the heat of the day. When it’s hot, the water evaporates as quickly as it hits the ground. Watering in the early morning hours is ideal; however, due to the low humidity in northern Colorado, it’s OK to water in the evening or during the night.
Drip irrigation delivers water at the soil level so less water is lost to wind or evaporation. If you have a shrub border that is currently being watered with spray heads, this area could be converted to drip irrigation for more efficient and effective watering. Note that drip irrigation must water for a much longer time since the water is delivered much slower than spray heads.
A rain barrel positioned beneath a downspout at a convenient location will capture the rain or snow that lands on your roof for you to use to water your plants later. I found I needed an electric transfer pump for my rain barrel or there wasn’t enough pressure to get the water through a long hose.
Giving credit where credit is due:
Image #2 by AxxLC from Pixabay
Image #3by RewrZ from Pixabay
