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Summer is winding down, and for some of us the "thrill" of gardening and yard work may be fading with the season. However, spending just a few minutes in the yard this fall could lower costs on your next water bill and protect our water supply for future seasons. Check out these water-saving tips for your fall garden:
1. Dial it Down
Many of us operate our sprinkler systems in a "set and forget" mode—setting the timer to a frequency that may make sense in July but provides far more than the landscape needs or can handle earlier and later in the season. Adjusting irrigation timers as temperatures decrease in the fall can prevent excess water waste.
Generally speaking, Labor Day is a good time to cut back watering to once every five days. Not only will water bills decrease, but thousands of gallons of water will remain in our reservoirs and storage systems, ready to help us weather the potential effects of uncertain winter snowpack. View our suggested watering schedule for Central and Northern Utah.
2. Upgrade your Irrigation System
As Utahns we receive and apply water to our landscapes in different ways—some have automated systems or use culinary water, others may hand water or flood irrigate with secondary water from pipes or canals. Perhaps you use a combination of these methods. Regardless, there are ways to improve the performance and efficiency of any type of irrigation system through new technologies.
Rebates for upgrading your current irrigation system with WaterSense approved components pays you twice—first through water savings and secondly via rebates available to most Utahns. The Central Utah Water Conservancy District makes rebates for WaterSense approved components available to residents of Salt Lake and Utah Counties as well as most of the central portion of the state. For those in Northern Utah, rebates for water efficient components are available through Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. Southern Utah residents may receive rebates through Washington County Water Conservancy District. Learn how to get your rebates here.
3. Plant in the Fall
We often think of spring as the prime time to begin our gardens, but fall is good too. New plants and transplants require far less water in early fall or early spring when it's cooler than in summer months. Plus, planting now gives your plants time to establish a deep and healthy root system that will require less watering next summer season as well! Check out this list of plants that are ideal for northern Utah.
The population of the State of Utah is expected to double by 2060—but our water supply won't. Learning to adjust our water usage with the seasons will eliminate waste and conserve our supply. Our reservoirs are a hedge against drought, so preserving that water by only using what we need will ensure availability when we really need it.
*Conservation Garden Park is a FREE, 6-acre botanical garden in West Jordan (8275 South 1300 West, West Jordan, Utah 84088) that teaches homeowners how to landscape for Utah's climate.
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