Cultivate Smarter Soil

Did you know that poor quality soil increases the amount of water needed to irrigate lawns and gardens? Soil improvements, such as adding compost or other similar soil amendments, can reduce your irrigation needs by 20 percent. That’s a reduction of more than 16,000 gallons annually per household in states where irrigation is prevalent, or a nationwide savings of as much as 1.6 billion gallons annually if everyone improved the condition of their soil.

Viewer Tip:  Fall is an ideal time to add compost to the soil. It’s also a great time to add a layer of mulch on top of planting beds to reduce the weeds that compete for water.

Season: Fall

This tip is provided by EPA’s WaterSense program. Find more residential water efficiency tips at www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/res.html.

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