To help, businesses like Synthetic Turf International are offering a few words of advice to help with the issue.
Choose your plants wisely. Landscapers may want to choose plants solely based on aesthetics, but picking plants that thrive with less water is the key to keep yards looking good no matter the conditions.
Go easy on the grass. For some it’s hard to imagine a picturesque yard without a lush and expansive yard. But the truth is, a green lawn usually requires a lot of water to maintain. The Southern Nevada Water Authority estimates that every square foot of natural grass replaced with less water-dependent alternatives saves 55 gallons of water per year.
Be Aware of Tax Rebates. Southern California’s Metropolitan Water District is recycling sewage effluent, giving away high-efficiency water nozzles and subsidizing items like artificial turf. Several states in the region offer tax rebates for home owners who install synthetic turf lawns and landscapes.
Add mulch. Covering the soil around plants with a layer of mulch or compost can help improve water retention, inhibit growth of water-hungry weeds and cool soil temperatures to keep plants comfortable when temperatures rise. Natural mulches break down and are absorbed into soil, which means there’s little maintenance besides adding a new layer when appropriate.
Make water work harder. No matter what you do to drought-proof a lawn, you’ll likely still have to do some watering. Drip irrigation systems can make water go further by applying it directly to the root of plants. If watering by hand, water in the morning when temperatures are cool, and apply water to the soil rather than directly to the plants. Installing a rain barrel is a great way to put the water that runs off a structure to good use – and that water can be used even if watering restrictions are in effect.
