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EXTENSION REPORT
Baldwin County Extension Office
302A Byrne Street
Bay Minette, AL 36507
Michael N. McIntyre
Urban Regional Extension Agent
Natural Resources/Home Horticulture
May 19, 2008
Water Saving Tips in and Around the Yard
The very familiar proverb of “you never miss the water till the well runs dry” is very true in most cases and applied to more than just water issues. But, do we really have to wait for this critical stage before we start conducting simple water conserving activities? Let us assume that all the water in the world was one hundred liters; three liters would be considered fresh water, primarily ice in the arctic region which we are unable to access. Another portion of this three liters of water is captured through percolation and stored as ground water. Only half a teaspoon out of the three liters is available freshwater. Why do we sometimes disregard this fact? Is it because of the cost of water? In this article we will briefly outline a few tips that can be used to save water.
Summer is quickly approaching and everyone wants their lawn to remain green and healthy. That`s acceptable, but irrigate your lawn only when necessary. Monitor the weather channel or your local television station for weather updates as to when it will rain, storm or receive high temperature. After it rains check your rain gauge to determine how many inches of rain your area received. Based on the rain gauge reading this might have saved you some cash, water and time.
On the same note of lawn irrigation, mow lawns at least one level higher. The long foliage that remains after mowing provides more shade to the soil thus reducing the amount of moisture evaporated. During that same process the smaller portion of the mowed foliage will be incorporated back into the soil forming humus and adding to the protective covering of the soil. One may ask how high or how low we need to mow; the main objective here is to reduce the impact of the heat on the soil. Some of these saving tips may not be applicable based on the type of grass or mower.
Put a layer of mulch around your garden plants. Mulching has multiple functions; it prevents soil moisture loss by evaporation. It also allows for more percolation to plant roots where it is needed most and reduces surface water run-off, which may cause both lost of soil and moisture.
If you have an outlet from your air conditioner where the water condenses, place a container to collect the water for future garden use or you may use a water hose to direct the water to your garden. Therefore, while you might be using more energy to keep cool you will be balancing the cost at the other end by saving the vegetable you invested time and money.
Therefore, for whatever operation these tips were used for will help not only save money but to add profit to your investment.
If you need any additional information, contact Michael McIntyre, Urban Regional Extension Agent at 251-574-8445 or 251-259-1265 or mnm0001@auburn.edu.
Email address: mnm0001@auburn.edu
Phone: (251) 937-7176
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability
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