If you are one of many people looking to save water through your landscaping, then you’re not alone. Perhaps you are trying to be more environmentally friendly, perhaps you’re just trying to save on your water bill, or maybe (try as you might) you’ve watered and watered and still find your grass and plants shriveled and brown before even midsummer. Whatever the reason, you can’t go wrong with your use of soils and mulch in order to make water last without using much.
So You Want To Cut Back On Water…
Yeah, we get that. Especially given the fact that Utah has a tendency to go into droughts (it is a desert climate, after all). Of course you want a great looking yard, whether for your own enjoyment, curb appeal, or increasing your property value. But when you’re trying to be water-wise, it might sometimes feel like you have to choose between an attractive lawn and more water, or a brown and shriveled one with less.
Thankfully, there are ways you can save on your water bill and be cost-effective in your landscaping.
We’ll be entirely honest, if you’re looking for a “no-water” landscaping system, you’ll be hard pressed to find it. Even cactus and succulents regularly need water in order to survive. The goal is to find the materials that will effectively conserve water, requiring less for plants to survive.
Simply doing a little homework on the subject will bring up lists of materials that contain moisture, look good, and will actually nourish your lawn and plantlife.
Let’s go into some of our favorites:
What Kind Of Soil Should I Use?
If you’re looking for a soil that will enable you to use less water while still giving plants a home for them to live long and be happy, then you’ve got to go high-quality. Lower-quality soils struggle to effectively maintain moisture, meaning more frequent watering, which is exactly the opposite of what you want to achieve.
Meanwhile, high-quality soils not only capture the moisture, but also give your plants the room to breathe and grow as well. The soils that hold water the best are more loamy, ones containing higher levels of silt, clay, or sand. With these, you’ll enable your plants to have longer access to water and nutrients essential to their growth.
Mulch And Rocks
Kind of a funny concept, right? Rocks for containing moisture? Believe it or not, it is highly recommended if you want to simultaneously nurture your yard and beautify it.
Mulch and rocks are great tools for increasing water-efficiency. Mulch in particular is very effective at trapping water and feeding your plants at the same time.
It is important to note, however, that when using bark mulch, you want to layer no more than 3 inches. More than that and the mulch will start limiting airflow, which plants do need in order to survive and thrive.
When using rocks, you can increase the curb appeal of your lawn, for one thing. But when it comes to water, you’ll be able to trap moisture by reducing the amount of open land from which water will evaporate. Remember, though, to lay landscaping fabric beneath the rocks so that they don’t sink into the soil.
Waterwise Landscaping – Try Xeriscaping!
You might have heard of this water-conserving and low-maintenance (but no less attractive) form of landscaping, which has grown in popularity, particularly in more arid climates (just like here in Utah).
Although many people’s minds think “zero-scaping,” xeriscaping comes from the Greek word “Xeros” which means “dry” or “containing little moisture.” It is aptly named because that is exactly the goal: to model your yard in a way that requires little moisture to maintain.
There are seven main principles to successful xeriscaping. We’ve covered them in depth in another article, but for clarity’s sake we’ll simply list them:
- Good design and planning
- Choice of soil
- Wisely using grass
- Grouping plants based on their need for water
- Use of irrigation
- Mulch for moisture
- Maintenance
If you’re serious about cutting back your water usage, then xeriscaping might just be the long-term solution for you!
For An Extra Shot At Keeping Your Lawn Green This Summer, Try Clover
This is a tip that many waterwise landscapers share. Just because you want to conserve water, it doesn’t mean you have to remove your lawn altogether.
Many xeriscapers especially plant clover in their grass. Amazingly, that little plant comes with a variety of benefits:
- Clover self-fertilizes and traps moisture, effectively cutting back on how much your lawn needs watering
- It also combats other weeds, which is a great way to spare your spine from hours of hunching over to pluck those pests
- Pollinators love clover, which means that you are effectively giving them the tools to do their part for the ecosystem (including your own plant-life)
While often overlooked, clover has more advantages than drawbacks.
Start Your Waterwise Journey With Haul-4-U
If you’re ready to get started on saving water, then Haul-4-U has the materials you need to get off to a good start. You can find a wide selection of loamy soils, mulches, and landscape rocks with which to decorate your lawn and maximize your potential for conservation.
Haul-4-U is proud to serve you, which is why once you’ve chosen your material of choice, you can have it delivered right to your property by one of our professional haulers. That way, you can spare your vehicle from the dirtiness and damage, let alone gas money spent going back and forth, loading and unloading everything you need.
You can rest-assured knowing that you’re doing your part to conserve water, saving on your water bills, and all without sacrificing the attractiveness of your lawn. It’s a win-win all around.
Remember, your dream lawn is just a haul away. So contact Haul-4-U with any questions you might have, or get started on ordering everything you need right now. We can’t wait to help you get started!
