Irrigating your landscape is an extremely important part of maintaining a beautiful and healthy landscape. Water is absolutely necessary component of plant life and growth. There is a balance that you must respectfully observe however. You must not over water your plants, as that is just as bad, if not worse, than under watering and not watering. Many people fear that watering the landscape is a giant waste of water and that by eliminating landscape irrigation we would save mass amounts of water. While this is true that water would be saved you must consider the fact that most water use comes from other domestic uses. Watering the landscape in a responsible way will help to keep the environment much healthier and looking much better. The average person uses about 80 gallons of water indoors each day. This is almost the same amount of water that is used each day on their landscape. However, with proper watering technique and a more efficient system, like and automatic irrigation system, this amount of water can be drastically reduced. Water conservation should be practiced in all uses of water in day to day activities. In order to get the most out of your system and to help you landscape function and look its best, follow these simple watering tips:
 | Water a lawn regularly and for short periods of time, such as 12 minuets each morning. |
| Water during early morning hours to reduce evaporation and fungus growth. |
| Do not water on windy days. |
| Fertilize your lawn in the spring instead of the summer. |
| Do not allow weeds to grow in your lawn because they rob your lawn of water. |
| Mix mulch in the soil. Mulch helps retain moisture and reduces the need for frequent watering. |
| Aerate your lawn at least twice a year to reduce runoff and to encourage a healthy deep rooted lawn. |
| Use an automatic timer to program each water zone for only the amount of water needed. |
| Add an automatic rain sensor to your system to prevent the system from watering during or after raining. |
| Consider using more drought tolerant plants in the landscape to cut down on watering needs in the summer. |
Source: City of San Jose, website on water conservation in the landscape.
Keep in mind that the lawn requires the most water but is also the most able to come out of a drought period. The lawn should be the first plant to lose watering time in a drought. Generally speaking trees are able to withstand a drought fairly well. The perennials, annuals, and smaller shrubs in the landscape will need the most care and attention during abnormally dry periods. Try to plan your landscape with less lawn and more drought tolerant perennials and shrubs.