7 Ways to Save Water in Landscaping

You worked hard (or paid a lot of money) to create the beautiful landscape that surrounds your home, so it only makes sense that you want to maintain it. Many people think that the only way to keep their yard green is to water it constantly. However, overwatering can be detrimental to the health of your landscape by causing shallow roots, weed growth, fungus, and disease. Even more, it’s environmentally wasteful and can become costly. Check out these tips for maintaining a lush yard with less water (and a pleasant surprise when you open your water bill!)

Save Water in Landscaping
  1. Water in the morning. Less evaporation occurs in the morning, so it’s best to set your sprinklers to finish their cycle before 8 am. There is less wind and heat earlier in the day, which allows your landscape to utilize fully the water it receives.
  2. Use mulch. Adding mulch to your landscape is an easy way to save on water (and it can be visually complementary to flowers and plants). Mulch acts as a sponge to hold and retain water, making it available to the surrounding soil when necessary.
  3. Pay attention to the weather. This seems obvious, but many people forget that they should be adjusting their watering frequencies with changing weather. You should be watering the most during July and August and less in the preceding and proceeding months. During periods of precipitation, turn automatic systems off.
  4. Make necessary adjustments and repairs. Observe the pattern of your sprinkler system and if you notice excess water being sprayed on sidewalks, streets, patios, etc., move your sprinklers or reset them to ensure the landscape itself is receiving most of the water. If you feel like something is wrong with your sprinkler system, have it checked out as soon as possible. A leak in an automatic system could waste hundreds of gallons of water or even cause structural damage to your home.
  5. Water heavily, but less often. If you’re watering every day, consider watering every other day or every few days, but increase the time the sprinklers run on these days. This reduces evaporation and allows water to seep further down into the soil, giving roots the moisture they need.
  6. Use a trigger sprayer when hand-watering. Attaching a trigger sprayer allows you to only disperse water from a hose when you need to. This saves water from being wasted when you’re doing anything other than watering your landscape (moving areas, taking a break, etc.). Trigger sprayers are an especially good investment because they serve dual purposes, like washing cars and other cleaning projects.
  7. Install smart sprinkler technology. New technology monitors the weather and condition of your soil and then automatically turns your sprinkler system on when necessary. Smart sprinkler systems, while sometimes pricey, allow you to effortlessly minimize the amount of water used to take care of your landscaping.

Even though it’s been an exceptionally hot summer, you may still be overwatering your exterior landscape. Follow our tips to reduce the amount of water you’re using while keeping the environment, your yard, and your bank account happy!

EAB Reaches Nebraska

Emerald Ash Borer

Back in May, we warned you that it was just a matter of time before the Emerald Ash Borer, the destructive beetle that will wipe out the state’s ash tree population, arrived in Nebraska. The invasive pests didn’t waste any time− on June 6, 2016, EAB was discovered during a site inspection of Omaha’s Pulaski Park. On June 17th, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture confirmed that the beetle had been found in a tree on private property in Greenwood (Cass County). Nebraska is the 27th state to confirm the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer, alongside neighboring states of Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, and Missouri.

The Emerald Ash Borer attacks the inner bark of all ash species, disrupting the flow of nutrients and eventually killing the tree entirely. Signs of infestation include thinning or weak branches, bark splitting, and D-shaped exit holes in the base of the tree.

Since late June, Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Washington, and Dodge counties have been under quarantine in regards to EAB. This means that nurseries are unable to transport ash trees outside of the quarantine area and the movement of firewood is being regulated in order to prevent the human-assisted spread of the beetles.

Okay, so EAB is in Nebraska. What do I do now? First, know that only ash trees within a 15-mile radius of a known infestation should be treated. A chemical called imidacloprid (found at certain hardware/gardening stores) can be used to effectively treat small trees. For larger trees, however, treatment must be performed by tree care professionals through trunk injections and other special chemicals. If you live within 15 miles of a known infestation or your ash trees are exhibiting signs of EAB, it’s best to call the experts and have them do a full inspection.

As of now, there’s no reason to consider cutting down healthy ash trees (as long as they aren’t within 15 miles of a known infestation). This could quickly change in the future, however, as EAB makes its way to other areas in Nebraska. Because EAB is now present in our state, it’s not recommended to plant any new ash trees at this time.

Worried about EAB in your trees? Give Dudley’s Dew-Right Services a call for an EAB inspection, and treatment/removal if necessary. In the meantime, burn firewood only in the same county that it was purchased in and pay attention to the health of your ash trees. For any questions or concerns regarding the Emerald Ash Borer, contact us here!

Source: https://www.1011now.com/content/news/Second-time-emerald-ash-borer-found-in-Nebraska-383458881.html