Winterizing Your Xeriscape and Rainwater Harvesting System

It’s easy to forget about your garden when winter rolls around, but don’t let the freezing temps ruin all the hard work you did during the spring and summer months. Start preparing your xeriscape garden for the winter. Winterizing your garden and its accessories will save time, money and heartache when spring approaches. Here are a few tips to follow to ensure your garden makes it through the winter!

· Many xeriscaping plants generally reach maturity in three years. During the fall, plants can be divided to fill the open spaces in your garden as the plants grow. This also prevents overcrowding when the plant begins to grow next year.

· Fall is the time of year to plant spring bulbs; they are great xeriscaping plants pulling moisture from the snow as the root systems develop.

· Some plants do better in the spring if they are cut back before the winter cold hits and the plants begin to harden to protect themselves. Be sure to check on your specific plant’s needs, as they are all different.

· Filters need to be checked at least once a month, however in the winter months this is extremely important.

        Depending on your usage it may be ok to remove the filter completely.

· Although plastic pipes are typically preferred because they will not rust, when frozen, they are prone to breaking. Be sure to drain any water from pipes to ensure they do not freeze and burst where the water settles in the pipe.

· Be sure to remove or regularly maintenance any pumps or motors you may be using to move water. These too can break due to freezing and cause major problems.

Fall and Winter Water Conservation Tips

During the summer months is when water conservation and paying attention to our water use is stressed to everyone, such as, not over watering plants and lawns, watering our lawns only in the early morning and late evening hours to prevent evaporation, using a nozzle when washing our vehicles, fixing leaky faucets and so on.

Also during the summertime we are used to watering our lawns and plants more frequently due to the hot temperatures and windy days, but with the cooler temperatures of fall, we are able to drastically reduce the amount of water needed to maintain the plants, and in winter even less watering is needed. Over watering can cause diseases in your yard and plants. So remember to cut back on your watering to prevent plant disease and most importantly to conserve water!

Here are some more conservation tips to practice during the winter months:

· As the cold temperatures hit that means our pipes are more prone to freezing up and busting, so now is the time to get those faucets and pipes that are exposed to the cold temperatures insulated.

· Know where the main water shut off valve is incase of a busted pipe so the water can be easily shut off to prevent waste.

· Remember to keep your heater on at a low temperature while traveling or away from your home to prevent busted pipes.

Conserving water is not only important during spring and summer but also in the fall and winter, so follow these simple steps in doing your part to conserve water.