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770-535-2911, or
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Proper Watering and Creating a Water Smart Landscape

Put the right plant in the right place with the right soil.
This is the #1 rule for any landscape project. Happy plants are healthy plants that will need less water, attention and care.

Most ornamental plants in the landscape, once they are established, can go weeks without supplemental irrigation. In fact, over-watering (water too frequently) is a leading cause of problems with ornamentals. Junipers, for example, are extremely drought-tolerant once they are established, but they cannot tolerate extended periods of excess moisture.

The best time to water is at night or in the early morning. As much as 30 percent of the water applied during midday can be lost to evaporation accelerated by the sun.

Steps to make your landscape more drought-tolerant

1. Improve the soil. This is the most important and most effective thing you can do to make your plants more drought-tolerant. Adding several inches of organic matter, and tilling it in whenever possible, improves the water holding capacity of clay. Plants will develop a more extensive root system that will “go deep” where the moisture level of the soil is higher. When you water amended soil, it holds water longer, making it available to the plant for long periods of time.

2. To avoid run-off and water loss, apply water slowly to the base of the plant using a hand-held hose, drip irrigation, or soaker hoses. Watering directly at the root zone puts all the water into the soil. These types of watering systems slowly apply water to the plant so there’s no run-off and all the water goes directly to the plant. It takes much less water to keep the soil adequately moist and there’s less chance of disease problems since the foliage stays dry. Do-it-yourself irrigation systems, available from most garden centers and home improvement stores, use 30 to 50 percent less water than sprinklers, and they can be attached directly to outdoor faucets.

3. Always keep 2-3 inches of mulch in beds and around trees. It prevents moisture loss due to evaporation and keeps the soil cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

4. Always keep weeds pulled. Weeds compete with plants for water and they usually win!

5. During times of drought, do not fertilize unless absolutely necessary i.e.- nutrient deficiency, yellowing leaves, etc. Fertilizer containing nitrogen causes new, succulent growth that requires much more water. The more you fertilize with nitrogen, the more you must water to sustain the new growth of the plant. Do apply phosphate and potash. These elements improve the root system of the plant, increase drought-tolerance, and potash even acts as an “immune booster” by making plants less prone to stress from heat, dry soil, diseases, etc. Triple Super Phosphate and Triple Super Potash can be purchased at farm supply stores in 5 lb. bags. Read the label and don’t over-apply, they’re highly concentrated.

6. Fall and winter are the best times to plant because the plants won’t need much water to get established. Since the ground doesn’t freeze here in north Georgia, roots grow all winter long and have time to get well established before summer.

Watering the lawn- how much does it need?

Everyone must do their part to use water wisely and responsibly. Water conservation should always be practiced, even during times of adequate rainfall. On an annual basis, outdoor watering represents an average of 20% of the total water use in the home. During the summer, however, outdoor water use can represent up to 50% of the water used in the average home that has an automatic sprinkler system. Too often, the sprinkler system is run excessively at no added benefit to the lawn. Practice the following tips on proper water use and you'll probably be surprised at how good your yard will look with much less water than you might expect.

The lawn only needs 1" of water every 7-10 days, including rainfall.

Place a few tuna cans in different areas of the lawn and time how long it takes the sprinkler system to fill them. Example: if it takes 1 hour to fill the cans, then set the system to run each zone 30 minutes one day, skip 5 days, then run it again for 30 minutes. On this schedule, the system’s zones only run a total of 1 hour in a ten-day period yet the lawn receives all the water it needs to stay healthy and green. This method encourages the lawn to grow a deeper root system, and allows it to dry out between waterings. In addition to conserving water, this method reduces disease problems that must be treated with chemicals that are a result of frequent watering. Lawns prefer to dry out between waterings. Running the sprinkler system several times a week is wasteful and unnecessary. It also causes the lawn to grow a very shallow root system that cannot live without frequent watering. That means that when the state puts a total water ban into effect, this type of lawn is the first to die.

Always install a rain sensor to your automatic sprinkler system. They're inexpensive and will automatically keep the system from coming on during rain showers. There is much work being done on the technology of efficient watering systems, and one of the most promising is soil moisture meters; probes that are inserted into the soil and wired to the sprinkler systems control box. They tell the system when to come on based on the moisture in the soil instead of the amount of rain that has fallen. This is much more accurate than rain gauges because the system will not come on until the soil moisture reaches a pre-determined level that is set by the installer. The technology will get more user-friendly and economical with time but currently, any landscape professional that is experienced with irrigation system installation can add a soil monitor to your system.

Make a habit of watering only when the landscape needs it- and learn when that is for your particular yard and you’ll be doing your part to conserve water. Hopefully, the days of driving through a neighborhood and seeing sprinklers watering the streets are over!

WATER- Use It Wisely Tips

Water Conservation in the Landscape

Did you know your lawn and plants only need 1 inch of water every 7 to 10 days to stay healthy? Try these tips to help them thrive!

· Water only once a week. When it hasn’t rained, a deep soaking every week will provide your plants with plenty of moisture.

· Soak, don't sprinkle. When you water, aim the nozzle at the base of plants so more water will reach the roots.

· Don't water in the heat of the day. You will only lose water to evaporation. When you can water, water between 9 pm and 9 am. Less water is lost to evaporation when watering in the evening or morning.

· Avoid shallow watering. The worst thing you can do for plants is to water them frequently and shallowly. Shallow frequent watering encourages a shallow root system and reduces the drought tolerance of plants.

· Direct water to the roots - not the top. When you water, direct water to the roots and avoid wetting the foliage. Wetting the foliage not only encourages diseases but also results in evaporative loss of water.

· Drip irrigation or a soaker hose are efficient ways of watering. Drip irrigation uses 50% less water than conventional sprinkler irrigation and applies water slowly and directly to the root system.

· Use drought tolerant plants. Many of our Southern ornamental plants can survive long periods of limited rainfall.

· Check your sprinkler system frequently. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.

· Reduce turf areas. Avoid planting turf in areas that are hard to water such as steep inclines and isolated strips along sidewalks and driveways.

· Don't water your lawn on windy days. After all, sidewalks and driveways don't need water.

Water Conservation Inside the Home

Do the toilet test
Leaking toilets cause more water waste than any other fixture in the home. Even a silent toilet leak (that’s one you normally can’t hear) will waste from 30 to 500 gallons of water per day! The ones you can hear will waste much, much more. Such wastage can normally be attributed to a faulty water level adjustment or a leaky flapper.

Leaky flappers and the "dye test"
Most people will say their toilet does not leak. There is one sure way to find out. Put some food dye in the tank and then leave for 15 minutes. When you return, look into your bowl to see if there is now dye color in the water spot. If there is color, or if you already can hear and or see water running in your bowl, it’s time for a new flapper! After installing the new flapper, run the dye test again to assure you have no leak. If the leak persists (and every now and then it will), you are probably going to have to replace the entire flush valve.

How to save hundreds of gallons in your home every day.
· When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

· Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you not the drain.

· Wash your fruit and vegetables in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.

· If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, then replace it with a water-efficient showerhead.

· Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes. You'll save up to 1000 gallons a month.

· Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.

· Designate one glass for your drinking water each day. This will cut down on the number of times you run your dishwasher.

· Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet. It's simple, inexpensive, and can save 140 gallons a week.

· Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.

· If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place a toilet dam or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on the amount of water used for each flush. Be sure these devices do not interfere with operating parts. · Turn off the water while you shave and you can save more than 100 gallons a week.

· When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather.

· Consider reusing your bath towels again before washing them. (for more tips visit: wateruseitwisely.com)

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