Keeping your landscaping green and lush is an essential part of building maintenance. However, unless you have cultivated a xeriscape, it can be difficult to avoid drought conditions while abiding by your city’s watering restrictions. Here are four simple water-wise tips for maintaining a healthy green space around your commercial property.
Don’t make do with outdated or dilapidated sprinklers. Turn them on and look for heads that are broken, that dribble or gush water, or that spray incorrectly. If you don’t notice anything amiss, then monitor your water usage. Newer models with rain and freeze sensors often pay for themselves in water savings.
Don’t allow any water to evaporate before it reaches your plants. Sprinklers that spray at an acute angle allow more liquid water to reach your grass, and drip irrigation systems are best for trees and shrubs. Furthermore, avoid watering at these times:
• On windy days
• During rainy weather
• At mid-day
Most property managers are guilty of over-watering because they don’t realize that a typical lawn requires only 1 inch of water each week. To translate this volume into the amount of time sprinklers should run, set up rain gauges or cans and measure how long it takes to fill them to a height of 1inch.
Mulch gives a landscape a finished look, but it also serves the purpose of conserving water in the soil. Spread mulch liberally around all flowers and trees, reapplying as needed to maintain a layer of 2-4 inches a all times.
If your managerial skill set doesn’t include having a green thumb, Monarch Landscape Companies is here to help. We can provide assistance with mulching and irrigation or start a new project from the bare ground up. Contact us today for an estimate.