Water Conservation

Go “green” with Your Green

Best Practices for Water Conservation

By: Dave Hartman

In Texas about 25 percent of the water supply is used for landscape and garden watering. Much of this water is used to maintain traditionally high water-demanding landscapes, or it is simply applied inefficiently. One popular strategy for water reduction is Xeriscaping.

Xeriscaping

refers to a method of landscape design that minimizes water use. Other commonly used phrases are drought-tolerant, zeroscaping and smartscaping. Some cities have mandated the use drought-tolerant plants. Check to see if your city has such a mandate.

According to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, “Xeriscape landscapes need not be cactus and rock gardens. They can be green, cool landscapes full of beautiful plants maintained with water-efficient practices. The same green Texas-style landscape which we are accustomed to can be achieved and still conserve water.”

Best Practices:

·Don’t over water

·Implement a zoning system – grasses, shrubs, trees

·Permanent sprinkler system – more efficient than hoses

·Drip irrigation – more efficient than sprinkler… can use lower quality water

·Mulching – conserves moisture

·Proper mowing and fertilizing

Helpful links:

Xeriscaping

A&M Horticulture

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/xeriscape/xeriscape.html

http://thoroughreview.com/xeriscape/links.shtml

Success stories: NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/20/garden/20080821_sustainable_ss_index.html

City of Corinth

 http://cityofcorinth.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={75C5C898-EA0E-47D8-BF71-B96ECD7088E9}

City of Austin

http://www.cityofaustin.org/growgreen/default.htm

Texas Urban Landscape Guide (A&M)

http://urbanlandscapeguide.tamu.edu/sources.html

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