Water conservation tips for a beautiful garden

Timing is everything
• Water your plants early morning or late afternoon after the sun sets, to prevent water from evaporating and to maximize moisture. Water can also act like a magnifying glass and burn your lawn, so waiting until later in the day will ensure you prevent this from happening.

• While weather conditions may vary throughout the summer, the general rule of thumb is to water every four to seven days for between one and three hours, saturating the ground to a depth of six inches. Be careful not to over-water the lawn as it's just as harmful as under-watering.

• Using an outdoor timer, like the two-zone timer, enables you to program watering tools to run at any frequency and for any duration of time, ensuring you don't over-water.

Water directly to the root
• Consider the area that requires watering and choose the appropriate tool. For example, to help provide nourishment to trees, select a tree-base soaking hose that directs water to the base of the tree or to water flowerbeds, choose a direct drip watering system that focuses water flow on the desired area.

• Sure to be a hit this spring, micro-irrigation systems are inexpensive and easy to set up. They come with tubing, hardware and multiple spray heads to enable gardeners to create a customized watering system. Focusing water directly on the root, micro-irrigation systems help conserve water consumption while effectively providing nourishment to your garden and shrubs.