By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Even though Nephi City passed an ordinance to have
residents water their yards at night, that does not mean
watering all night long is the best use of water.
In this year of extended drought&emdash;the fourth in
a row&emdash;people need to change their ideas of what it
takes to have a well-kept yard.
"People believe we've got to water every day," said
Frank Williams, a professor of horticulture at Brigham Young
University.
Other water wasters are leaky faucets and broken
sprinkler heads.
"A lot of people probably lose more water with leaky
valves and taps, and that's as big a concern as
over-watering in the landscape." he said.
Low-flush toilets and special showerheads also help in
conserving water.
For the best-kept lawn, water for one hour and then
don't water again for 10 days. Every lawn should have a dry
spot.
Williams said most Utah residents overwater, thinking
that because they live in a desert the plants need water.
However the assumption is not right. Plants in most
residential yards could get along quite well with 25 percent
less water than they get.
"What we have to do is change our attitude. Lawns
don't have to be watered every day," Williams said.
In fact, such practice could result in the very
problem home owners and care takers are trying to avoid.
When this happens, grass roots are all on the surface.
A missed watering day means that lawns look brown and dry
quickly.
"Most people are growing plants hydroponically," he
said. "You should at least cut the watering time back five
minutes."
Water conservation does not mean changing the personal
landscape by getting rid of the green plants that live in
the yard of most Utah homeowners.
Many of the big cities, where the grass has been
removed have become heat sinks. That defeats the purpose and
causes a high use of power.
"So if you are not cooling with a lawn, you are
turning on your air conditioners more," said Williams.
Many cities suggest watering at night but forget to
ask residents to water less at the same time, he said. Using
less water is the best solution.
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