USU Extension Gardening Team Helpful Drought suggestions.
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Drought concerns have caused many people to consider redoing their yards to
conserve water. But before you rip out established lawn, shrubs, or garden
beds, here are three things you can do instead. 1.
Harvest
rainwater. In Utah, the law allows you to have two rain barrels, less than
100 gallons each, on your property. For more information see our guide. 2.
Improve
your soil conditions. Mixing in mulch or organic matter can increase your
soil’s water-holding capacity. Even just a 1 to 2% increase in soil organic
matter can up your soil’s water-holding capacity by 50 gallons in a 100 sq.
ft. space. Check out the information here to help you decide which materials
to add. 3.
Use
drip irrigation for non-turf areas. Changing overhead irrigation to a drip
line is not complicated (we’ll show you how here). Shrubs and trees vary
in their water requirements, and using a drip irrigation system allows you to
change the amount of water you use. Drip irrigation systems use 50 to 80%
less water than an overhead irrigation system. These simple ideas
will help those who would like to be water-wise but who do not have the time,
resources, or expertise to renovate the existing landscape completely. Thank you Ace Blackburn for submitting this information to LPC for posting. |