Whether you water your outdoor plants manually or have an irrigation system, there’s always room for water conservation. The Portland Water Bureau has tips for saving water while keeping your plants healthy.
Adjust your watering schedule, paying attention to the weather—rain showers (free water from Mother Nature!), cooler weather or extended periods of high temperatures—and make adjustments to water more or less often.
Keep in mind that established trees and shrubs typically don’t need much supplemental water. Except for a deep soak or two maybe in the hottest days of summer, established trees and shrubs have root systems that tap into deeper sources of water. Newly planted trees, however, need regular watering for the first couple of years.
Plan your watering for the morning or evening. Heat and wind cause water to evaporate more quickly and watering early in the morning or later in the evening (when the sun is low in the sky) helps keep evaporation to a minimum.
Watch for puddles and runoff. These are indications that you are applying water faster than it can soak into the soil and your plants are not benefitting from the ponding water.
Consider aerating or dethatching your lawn. If water isn’t penetrating the soil, your lawn may need to be aerated or dethatched to help the water soak in rather than running off.
Water lawns with one inch of water per week (more during long, hot dry spells). Lawns should be watered separately from other plants, with 50 percent of what you put on grass to perennials and shrubs, and 75 percent to vegetables (new plant starts, however, require more water).
The Regional Water Providers Consortium offers the “weekly watering number,” which takes the guesswork out of watering by sending out emails with the amount of water (in inches) your lawn needs each week. The weekly watering number is available every Thursday, April to September. The number takes into account local weather according to your zip code. Visit regionalh2o.org/water-conservation/outdoor-water-conservation/weekly-watering-number to sign up.
