Hydrozoning is like giving your lawn a rejuvenating hydromassage. Just as a hydromassage delivers the right amount of water to each of your muscles, hydrozoning gives the ideal amount of water to each of your landscape plants. The result? A water-wise landscape that benefits your plants and the planet. <\/p>
If you\u2019re ready to reduce your water use and keep your plants perfectly hydrated, this article will walk you through the nine reasons to transition to a hydrozoned lawn. <\/p>
Hydrozoning is the landscape practice of clustering plants with similar water, sun, and soil requirements to conserve water, improve plant health, and protect the environment.<\/p>
When done correctly, a hydrozoned lawn can reduce your water use by 20% to 50%<\/a>. How? By grouping plants with similar irrigation needs into zones (\u201chydrozones\u201d), you give each plant the perfect amount of water on the right schedule without overwatering and underwatering. Your yard stays healthy without wasting water. <\/p> Hydrozoning is one of the fundamental principles of xeriscaping<\/a> (creating a low-water landscape). It means you can focus on watering certain areas of your lawn and rest easy knowing that the other zones will thrive without the extra water. <\/p> Hydrozoning confines your turfgrass to one zone so you can add more native plants, shrubs, succulents, and wildflowers to the rest of your yard. This means you\u2019ll have less mowing, fertilizing, and watering to do, so you can sit back and enjoy your weekend. <\/p> Pro Tip:<\/strong> While you don\u2019t have<\/em> to plant native plants in your hydrozoned lawn, they\u2019ll make your yard work a lot easier. They naturally thrive in your region\u2019s climate and soil type, so they won\u2019t require the fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and frequent waterings that non-native species often need. <\/p> Hydrozoning limits turfgrass without making you go grassless or compromising your lawn\u2019s appearance. You can keep a nice swath of green grass in your backyard and border it with a beautiful rock garden, flower beds, or fruit trees. Colorful plants with different textures and heights can give your yard a \u201cwow\u201d factor. <\/p> By giving each zone the perfect amount of water (not too little and not too much), hydrozoning reduces landscape water use by as much as 50%. And if you hydrozone as part of a larger xeriscaping project, you can cut your water bill by as much as 80%<\/a>. <\/p> Hydrozoning will substantially cut your water bill, but you\u2019ll also save money by reducing: <\/p> Remember, native plants don\u2019t need fertilizer or other harsh chemicals, and the more garden plants, ground covers, and shrubs you have, the less mowing you\u2019ll need to do. <\/p> Plants that are neither waterlogged nor thirsty are less susceptible to diseases, so hydrozoning means you won\u2019t have a bunch of dead plants that need to be replaced halfway through the growing season. <\/p> If you hydrozone as part of a broader xeriscaping project, you may be eligible for rebates or bill reductions from your local government. Southwestern cities and towns, including Las Vegas<\/a>, NV; Aurora<\/a>, CO; and Los Angeles<\/a>, CA offer rebates (\u201ccash for grass<\/a>\u201d programs) for homeowners who replace their grass lawns with low-water landscapes.<\/p> If you don\u2019t live in the Southwest, your township may still provide financial incentives to replace your grass lawn with a xeriscape. Check your local government\u2019s website to see if you could qualify for a rebate.<\/p> The deep roots of drought-tolerant shrubs and native perennials reduce erosion and stormwater runoff.<\/p> What\u2019s the problem with runoff? Fast-flowing stormwater is filled with fertilizer, pesticides, and sediment that damage aquatic ecosystems. These contaminants cause harmful algal blooms and dead zones (low-oxygen areas where plants die and aquatic animals either die or lose their habitat), which degrade the environment and can contaminate drinking water<\/a>. <\/p> With the right plants, a hydrozoned landscape protects the planet and human health.<\/p> Treating and pumping water requires a boatload of energy, and most water treatment plants are powered by fossil fuels<\/a>. When you use less water, you reduce the strain on treatment facilities, which reduces air pollution from burning fossil fuels.<\/p> Native plants require no fertilization or pesticide because they\u2019re specifically adapted to your region. Likewise, healthy non-native plants and grasses don\u2019t need as many chemical treatments as those weakened by overwatering or underwatering. <\/p> This means you won\u2019t have to pay for as much fertilizer or pesticides, and you\u2019ll keep harmful chemicals out of your local ecosystem.<\/p> As the human population increases, the demand for water is skyrocketing. The UN projects that water demand will increase by 20% to 30%<\/a> by 2050. That demand puts a strain on our water supply and infrastructure. It\u2019s important to save water now to ensure high-quality drinking water in the future.<\/p> Hydrozoning takes careful planning (and a bit of doodling!), but the water-wise results are worth the time and scratch paper. <\/p> Here are the five steps to plan your hydrozoned lawn: <\/p> Make a map of your lawn showing where you want grass, a flower or veggie garden, a rock garden, and any other major yard element. Design your drawing based on your yard\u2019s natural features: Shady corners are perfect for a shade garden, and sunny open spaces work well for turfgrass or a wildflower garden.<\/p> Divide your lawn into four irrigation (watering) zones based on how much sunlight, water, and human use each portion of your yard receives.<\/p> Routine irrigation zone<\/strong>: Gets the most use and requires the most frequent watering (twice a week or more). <\/p> Reduced irrigation zone<\/strong>: The part of your lawn that gets a lot of visual attention (like the flower beds and shrubs outside your front door) and needs watering about once a week. <\/p> Limited irrigation zone<\/strong>: The corners and edges of your lawn that get little human use and contain hardy plants that only need watering during dry spells. <\/p> Nonirrigated zone<\/strong>: Requires zero supplemental watering. It includes the spots around utilities, mulched areas, and natural vegetation.<\/p> Now that you know how much water each part of your yard receives, amend your lawn design so that more of your yard needs less water. If you planned for turfgrass to take up your backyard, consider replacing a chunk of it with a beautiful flower bed or rock garden that will serve as a limited irrigation zone. <\/p> You can hydrozone no matter what type of watering system you have, whether you water by hand, have sprinklers<\/a>, or use a drip or bubbler system. <\/p> What matters here is placement: Each hydrozone must be on a separate irrigation valve so you can customize the watering schedule and depth based on different plant requirements. If thirsty turfgrass and drought-resistant cacti are on the same irrigation valve, it defeats the purpose of hydrozoning. <\/p> Pro Tip:<\/strong> Trees have deeper roots than grass and small plants, so they should always be on a separate irrigation valve.<\/p> Here comes the fun part! Take a trip to your local nursery and choose plants with similar water, soil, and sun requirements for each hydrozone. Your cooperative extension office<\/a> is a great resource for information on the right plants for dry, wet, sunny, and shady areas. Plus, you can learn about the best drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly native plants<\/a>.<\/p> Remember, hydrozoning is all about clustering plants with similar water needs, so make sure plants are compatible before you give them a permanent home. <\/p> Once you\u2019ve designed your new hydrozoned lawn, begin the turf removal process and get your plants growing!<\/p> Hydrozoning is a money-saving, sustainable landscaping option, but before you grab a pencil and start drawing your bubbles, consider the drawbacks of hydrozoning. <\/p> Hydrozoning \u2026 <\/strong><\/p> \u2717 Reduces your turfgrass area.<\/strong> <\/p> Converting some of your turfgrass to a more water-wise landscape means your kids and pets will have less space to play. You don\u2019t have to scrap your hydrozoning plans if you use your backyard for sports and parties, but you\u2019ll probably need a larger routine irrigation zone.<\/p> \u2717 <\/strong>Takes about two years to establish.<\/strong> <\/p> Young drought-tolerant plants need water. You\u2019ll have to water your hydrozoned yard regularly (even the plants that will eventually be water-free) for two years before you transition to low- or no-watering. <\/p> \u2717 Turfgrass removal can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. <\/strong><\/p> You\u2019ll need to remove at least a portion of your turfgrass lawn \u2014 by digging up your grass, applying herbicide, cutting sod, or sheet mulching<\/a> \u2014 to begin hydrozoning. <\/p> \u2717 Requires careful planning and potential irrigation changes.<\/strong> <\/p> If you aren\u2019t hand-watering, you\u2019ll have to plan carefully around your sprinkler system and you may need to add onto an existing irrigation line or replace sprinkler heads with a drip irrigation system.<\/p> \u2717 Can be expensive to install.<\/strong> <\/p> Hydrozoning will quickly slash your water bill and cut chemical costs, but if you\u2019re renting a sod cutter, purchasing lots of native plants, and adding rocks or other hardscape features, your upfront costs will be higher than sticking with your green grass. <\/p> \u2717 Decreases your lawn\u2019s noise-reducing and cooling<\/a> effects.<\/strong> <\/p> Turfgrass absorbs street noise and cools your air by 7 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. With less grass, you may hear more traffic and your air conditioning costs may rise. <\/p> Not at all! No matter where you live, hydrozoning your lawn or a portion of it will reduce your water waste and benefit your local ecosystem.\u00a0 Water your plants in the morning before 10 a.m.<\/a> to avoid evaporation from the midday sun. Watering at night can cause diseases and fungus.\u00a0 <\/p> <\/div> A fully xeriscaped lawn will save even more water than a hydrozoned one. To start xeriscaping:\u00a0 In general, drip irrigation is the more eco-friendly watering option, but choosing between the two depends on which plants you\u2019re watering. Hydrozoning gives your plants just the right treatment to keep them healthy, hydrated, and ready to grow. If you\u2019re ready to give your landscape what it\u2019s been craving, start a DIY project with a pencil and paper, and keep an open mind about adjusting your design. <\/p> If you\u2019d rather leave the deluxe treatment to a pro, call a local lawn care team<\/a> to get your lawn hydrated and water-wise. While they pamper your lawn, you can have your own relaxing spa day.<\/p> Main Photo Credit: Forest and Kim Starr | Wikimedia Commons<\/a> | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hydrozoning is like giving your lawn a rejuvenating hydromassage. Just as a hydromassage delivers the right amount of water to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":7106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[298],"tags":[138],"class_list":["post-7102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-landscaping","tag-lawn-seeding"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rsz_1280px-starr-200117-7334-cordyline_fruticosa-resort_landscaping-wailea_beach_resort-maui_49750809153.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Maille Smith","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/maille-rose-smith\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7102\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}9 benefits of hydrozoning<\/span><\/h2>
1. Lower maintenance than a full turfgrass lawn<\/span><\/h3>
2. Streamlines your yard<\/span><\/h3>
3. Water-efficient<\/span><\/h3>
4. Saves money<\/span><\/h3>
5. Rebates are available<\/span><\/h3>
6. Reduces runoff<\/span><\/h3>
7. Reduces air pollution<\/span><\/h3>
8. Uses fewer chemicals<\/span><\/h3>
9. Conserves drinking water<\/span><\/h3>
How to hydrozone<\/span><\/h2>
Draw a bubble map<\/span><\/h3>
Divide your lawn into irrigation zones<\/span><\/h3>
The four irrigation zones<\/span><\/h4>
Refine your design<\/span><\/h3>
Plan your irrigation system<\/span><\/h3>
Pick your plants<\/span><\/h3>
Cons of hydrozoning<\/span><\/h2>
FAQ about hydrozoning<\/span><\/h2>
Get hydro-happy<\/span><\/h2>