Publication Number 426-713, Revised 2004
Use
Optimum Cultural Practices
Minimizing the need for watering in your landscape requires careful observation, planning, and common sense. Several principles for water-wise landscaping include choosing the best design and plants, preparing soils, and watering properly for efficient water use.
Water-wise landscaping is also known as xeriscaping, a word trademarked by the National Xeriscape Council. The word is a combination of the prefix xero- or xer- meaning dry or dryness and the suffix -scape meaning scene or view.
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Based on your notes, develop a plan that meets your needs for use, appearance, and budget. Consider maintenance and water requirements in making your decisions. For example, maintaining a high-quality lawn area for entertaining will require frequent fertilizing and mowing, as well as high water use. A more maintenance-free choice for get-togethers is a deck or patio, but don't overdo the use of wood or concrete on your land. Leave plenty of vegetative surface for rain to reach the soil and soak in; otherwise, runoff and erosion problems are created. Whatever plan you develop, the cost can be distributed over a period of time if you implement your design over several years.
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In locations with established trees and shrubs, it is difficult to incorporate organic matter, but applying and maintaining a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch (coarse leaves, shredded bark, pine needles, or wood chips) will gradually improve the soil as the humic acid formed by the decomposing material leaches into the ground.
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In general, ground covers require less water than turfgrass, so replacing some of your lawn with a ground cover will conserve water. If you have large deciduous trees in your yard and want to reduce work and water, go natural - allow leaves to accumulate as they would in nature. Plant a few understory shrubs (such as azaleas and rhododendrons), a few understory trees (such as dogwood), and quit raking!
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Leaving shrubs in their natural forms reduces stress to the plants and, therefore, lessens their need for water.
Keeping weeds, insects, and diseases under control reduces the competition and stress to plants that increase their water demands.
These principles minimize the water demands in your landscape, help you save money and time, and reduce your impact on the local water supply.
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Design the grass area to make watering easier. Long narrow areas and small, odd shapes are hard to water efficiently. Avoid turf in the strip between the sidewalk and the road; most irrigation water will land on the paved surfaces and run off.
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Avoid watering by hand - it often wastes water as there is excess runoff, and water does not penetrate beyond the top 1 inch of soil. This irrigation practice harms plants by forcing root growth too close to the surface. If you must water by hand, place a 5-gallon bucket with a few holes in the bottom next to the plant and fill it with water; when it is has drained, move it to the next plant and refill.
Properly used sprinkler systems can deliver a large quantity of water in a short time. They have the disadvantage, however, of excessive evaporation, both during watering and from the plant and soil surface. Early morning watering minimizes water loss. However, sprinkler systems that deliver the water from overhead are the most effective means of watering turfgrass. Be sure to position sprinklers to shower areas of vegetation, not driveways, streets, or patios. Water until the soil is moist 6 inches deep, usually 1 inch per week applied at one time.
Trickle or drip irrigation systems and ooze hoses are very efficient, slowly applying water to vegetable and ornamental gardens. Soil moisture can be maintained at a level most suitable to plant uptake. If properly installed and maintained, little water is lost to evaporation or runoff and water use can be reduced by up to 50 percent. For many situations, the expense of installing a good trickle irrigation system will be compensated by reduced water usage, less replacement of plant materials, and less work. On any irrigation system, replace leaky parts promptly.
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For more information on selection, planting, cultural practices, and environmental quality, contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension Office. If you want to learn more about horticulture through training and volunteer work, ask your Extension agent about becoming an Extension Master Gardener. For monthly gardening information, subscribe to The Virginia Gardener Newsletter by sending your name and address and a check for $5.00 made out to "Treasurer, Va. Tech" to The Virginia Gardener, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0349. Horticultural information is also now available on the Internet by connecting with Virginia Cooperative Extension's server at http://www.ext.vt.edu.
The original development of this series was funded by ESUSDA Smith Lever 3(d) National Water Quality Initiative Funds and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Soil and Water Conservation.
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