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A turf war your water bill can win

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 4, 2009 at 7:27 am

From the Tracy Press:

In recent years, water has become one of our most endangered resources. With ever-increasing demand and successive years of drought, it’s is hard to justify wasteful irrigation practices.

In summer months, water used for our lawns represents 40 to 60 percent of total household water use. Think of how much water can be saved, if we replace all or a portion of our lawns with native or low-water use plants. Not only will we conserve water, we can reduce the amount of fertilizers and lawn chemicals that often end up in our groundwater. There also can be a tremendous labor savings once the task of taking out the lawn is done. Imagine not having to mow the lawn every Saturday morning.

That pay-off requires some work before hand, though. A sod-cutter from a tool-rental shop, which can be had for less than $100 a day, can save your back from sweaty work, and if strips are stacked atop each other grass-side to grass-side, they’ll turn into compost.

The other way of removing grass involves a shovel, and when lawn is dug up, so too is dirt. The weight ads up quickly, and if you plan to have it carted away in your green waste container, be careful about overfilling it. If it’s too heavy, it’ll be left on the curb unemptied. Less than half-full is a safe bet though.

Remember, the end goal is to reduce water use. That means converting overhead sprinklers to drip irrigation, soaker hoses or comparable systems. Aim to reduce your total water use by at least 25 percent.

Read more from the Tracy Press by clicking here.

July 4, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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