Make every drop count in your yard
Here are some tips on how you can maintain a healthy yard while making it as water efficient as possible.
Yards and gardens
Basics
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Aim for a minimum of 8 inches of top soil to improve water absorption and drainage in your soils.
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Improve your soil’s moisture content by adding compost. For directions on how to apply compost in your yard, visit Compost.org.
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Reduce evaporation by adding mulch, bark, wood chips or stones to your soil.
Water wise behaviours
Use rainwater collected from rain barrels to water your lawn, trees, and garden.
No rain barrel, no problem—use common household items like buckets, plastic storage bins and flowerpots! Find out how at greencalgary.org/blog/diy-rain-barrel.
If using rainwater for food plants, use the following precautions:
- Make sure your barrels or water containers are clean.
- Practice ‘base of plant’ watering – targeting plant roots rather than foliage.
If you’re using your rain barrel to water your lawn, attaching a hose or soaker-hose works best.
Place your rain barrel on a safe and secure raised platform so that gravity helps move water through the hose.
Water low and slow in your garden:
- Use a watering can, or drip irrigation connected to your rain barrel to target the plant roots and only water as fast as the soil can absorb it.
Reduce evaporation by watering in the late evenings and early mornings.
Only water when you need to:
- Avoid watering if there’s rain in the forecast.
- Use visual cues like wilting leaves or the plant reaching for the ground, and
- Check for dry soil near the base of the plant.
Lawns
Lawns only need 1 inch (or 2.5 cm) of water per week during the summer months to remain green and grow actively. Make your lawn more resilient during dry conditions by following these tips:
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Keep your grass three inches long. Longer grass keeps roots cool helping your lawn handle dry conditions.
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Leave grass clippings on your lawn, which returns nutrients to the soil, discourages weeds and keeps moisture in.
Remember, during a hot, dry spell, grass may go dormant. Most grass will recover and become green again after a good rainfall.
For more information visit:
Trees
It’s important to still check for dry soil first, but generally, young trees (less than three years old) should be watered every week, while established trees can be watered once every two weeks.
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Focus your watering on the area under the drip line.
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Water slowly. Never apply water faster than your soil can absorb.
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Consider adding mulch to a depth of two inches to help the soil retain moisture.
Frequently asked questions
My grass is going brown, is it dead?
Grass will go dormant (brown) during a hot, dry spell. Lawns are amazingly resilient and can tolerate dry conditions for a long period of time. Most grass will recover and become green again when we receive a good rainfall and cooler temperatures returns.
If you can pull your grass out easily, or the brown colour is not uniform on your lawn (for example: there are distinct patches of brown) then your grass may be dead.
What is drip irrigation?
Drip irrigation targets plant roots/soil and not the foliage of the plant, making it an efficient method of delivering water to plants that significantly reduces evaporation or water run-off. You can use drip irrigation with any water source, including rain barrels. Visit your local home and garden store, or shop online to purchase a drip irrigation kit.