Slow the Flow: Gearing Up for Fall and Conservation

David Rice with the Governor’s Water Conservation Team gives Studio 5 viewers some pointers for fall.

• Weather has been pretty crazy this year, with a pretty wet June and a great summer. But we all know that fall is just around the corner as the days are getting shorter and the sun isn’t as high in the sky. This means that our lawns don’t require as much water as they did in July or early August. It is important that everyone turn off their automatic sprinkler system and switch it to manual. Then, if you notice your lawn starting to get a little dry or stressed, manually set it to run through a single cycle.

•In addition to significantly cutting back on the amount of water being place on your lawn, fall is a great time of year to do some planting in preparation for next year. Bulbs are a typical thing to plant in the fall, and there are many varieties available. As you think about how your landscaping may look in the spring, be sure to place them in an area where the color will enhance the beauty of your yard.

• There are a variety of other water-wise plants that can be planted in the fall. The fall is one of the best times of year to plant new plants in Utah. When the plants are planted in the heat of the summer or early spring, they don’t have enough time to develop a strong root base before the stressful time of the year hits the plant. By planting in the fall, that provides the plant all of fall, winter and spring to develop the root base that will make it more tolerant to less water in the summer, while allowing it to remain green.

• Visiting a nursery to select the right plants can be a little overwhelming. There are rows and rows of plants, each with different colors, shapes and sizes, but most of them are in their infancy. There are some great demonstration gardens throughout Utah that provide visual examples of how each plant can work into any landscape.

Visit www.slowtheflow.org for links to the many resources available across the state on how to find and plant the right plants for Utah and conserve water.