WATER CONSERVATION vs. DRY SPOTS

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 to better address the varying needs throughout the landscape. In many locations, we also suggest modifying the landscape by eliminating lawns where irrigation would be difficult and expensive. Our budgets will include water conservation projects, such as Lawn Conversion.

What is the alternative? There are many options available. Replacing lawn with barkdust or groundcover plants are both viable choices. We have experimented with Sedum, similar to those used on green roofs, but its success has been marginal. Locally and nationally, we are seeing increasing use of rocks as a groundcover, and we are very excited about this option. Below are several pictures of rocks used as groundcover, which are both attractive and easy to maintain. Rocks require no water and never die. Some concerns have been raised about the liability risk associated with rocks, but we believe this risk is minimal. If someone wants to throw a rock through a window, they will find one regardless of its presence in the landscape.

We have been removing lawns and planting shrubs or creating rock beds for several years now. This approach reduces water use and enhances the appearance of many properties.

We originally did this in the parking strip at our Hillsboro office.