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Our lawns are like the proverbial cake that we want to have and eat at the same time. We love our lawns. They are an attractive thing to keep in front of the house. We can roll around on out lawns or put little statues of gnomes on them. It's a free country. But lawns come come with a heavy environmental price.
Environmentally, lawn maintenance can be very problematic. You may be tempted to use pesticides, herbicides or damaging fertilizers on your lawn. You may want to bag your grass clippings, or you may water your lawn way too much. These things are not eco-friendly.
About 50% of home water usage goes towards the lawn. There is no real benefit to over-watering. In fact, it weakens the grass. Excess moisture gives the grass no incentive to grow deeper roots. This leaves your grass open to pests and disease.
Most people over-water simply because they do not know any better. How much water does your lawn need? If you don't know the answer to that question, then you should consider installing a moisture sensor.
What is a Moisture Sensor?
A moisture sensor is a device that detects moisture in the soil. Bury the sensor in the driest part of the yard. The moisture sensor overrides and shuts down the sprinkler system when it detects an adequate amount of moisture.
According to researchers at the University of Florida, a moisture sensor can yield a water savings of 69% to 92%. You can cut your overall water bill by about 40%-45%. If you are spending 100 dollars a month on water and you put in a moisture sensor, you’ll save up to 45 dollars a month. (Assuming that 50% of your water bill goes to outdoor use and the only outdoor water expense is your lawn.)
Moisture sensors retail for about $100. The installation cost varies, but you can conserve water and see a return on your investment in less than a year.
More on Water Conservation:
What's Your Water IQ?
How to Get Your Garden Through a Drought
6 Ways to Conserve Water in the Pool
10 Simple Ways You Can Keep Watersheds Clean
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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