WATER CONSERVATION THROUGH LAWN CONVERSION

Shouldn’t all irrigated lawns be green? Yes and no. Take the pictures above. The picture on the left shows the entire lawn, and the picture on the right is a small section of the same lawn. This is typical of almost all lawns, especially those with established trees.

In a perfect world, irrigation would ensure a uniformly green lawn. However, different parts of a lawn have varying soil profiles and water requirements. Factors such as buried gravel, tree roots, slopes, and varying sun exposure can create wet and dry spots despite using the same irrigation program. Adjusting sprinklers can help, but some variation is often unavoidable.

Historically, we watered more to compensate for those hard to water areas. With increasing water costs, we've aimed to reduce irrigation to save money for our customers. The downside is that most properties end up with a few dry spots. The upside is that tolerating these dry spots can cut water costs by 20-40%. This is where weather-based irrigation systems come in. They adjust the watering schedule daily based on current weather conditions. However, factors like inconsistent soil, hidden debris, and gravel can still create differential water needs and challenges in certain areas, regardless of irrigation method.

Weather-based irrigation is excellent for reducing water usage but also highlights areas where the landscape or irrigation system may need improvement. You can read more about it here.

Our recommended long-term solution is to modify the irrigation system, but to also consider modifying the landscape. In many locations, this involves rethinking the landscape design, potentially reducing lawn areas that are difficult and costly to irrigate. Our budgets will prioritize water conservation projects, including:

·      Weather Based Smart Irrigation

·      Pressure Regulated Sprinklers

·      Lawn Conversion

·      Drip Irrigation

·      Coverage Improvements 

Why is lawn where is shouldn’t be? The simplest answer is that lawn is the cheapest part of landscape installation and looks great when brand new on freshly prepared soil. However, parking strips and islands are probably the worst places for lawns. Surrounded by concrete or asphalt, often with shallow soil or underlying rock or asphalt, these areas have irregular shapes that make irrigation coverage difficult. As tree roots develop, they compete for moisture, potentially requiring 5-10 times more irrigation to maintain. These areas are also challenging and sometimes hazardous to maintain due to nearby cars and obstacles.

SAVE WATER AND IMPROVE THE LOOK

What are the Alternative? There are plenty of options. Replacing lawn with bark dust or some variety of groundcover are both viable choices. We consider parking strips, tips, and islands as unsuitable places for lawns due to irrigation and maintenance challenges. We recommend a long-term strategy of lawn conversion in these areas to most clients.

ROCK ON!

We are also utilizing rocks as a great alternative. Rocks require no water and can serve as an attractive element in lawn conversions.