Here are some tips for reducing water use on landscaping maintenance:

Use a Rain Gauge – Your lawn needs only 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, so using a rain gauge will help you better manage your irrigation schedule.

Mulch – It retains moisture, helping to prevent the top layer of soil from drying out. Mulch also encourages earthworm and microbial activity and suppresses weeds, which compete with plants for water and nutrients.

Let OUC Help You – OUC conservation specialists will check water customers’ irrigation timer settings, review consumption records for opportunities to conserve water and provide information on OUC programs and rebates. Additionally, our Efficiency Delivered program can provide residential customers assistance with the costs of installing a weather-based WaterSense® certified irrigation controller and making minor repairs to an irrigation system.  To schedule a free conservation audit, call 407.423.9018.

Follow the Rules – The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Water Restrictions apply to all of Orange County: During Daylight Saving Time, Orange County property owners with even numbered addresses can water on Thursdays and Sundays, while those with odd-numbered or no addresses can water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Nonresidential property owners can water on Tuesdays and Fridays. Watering is restricted to one day per week during Standard Time. Watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is prohibited. Click here for SJRWMD irrigation tips that will show you how to conserve water.

Irrigation guidelines:

  • Run irrigation for no more than one hour per zone
  • Avoid watering on windy days
  • Adjust sprinklers so they water the lawn, not the pavement
  • Avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist
  • Make sure plants aren’t blocking sprinklers
  • Turn off sprinklers when it’s raining

Recommended Drought-Tolerant Plants

  • Aloe
  • African Iris
  • Beach Sunflower
  • Beauty berry
  • Begonias
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Blanket Flower
  • Butterfly Weed
  • Coleus
  • Cosmos
  • Dusty Miller
  • Firecracker Plant
  • Globe Amaranth
  • Indian Hawthorn
  • Junipers
  • Kalanchoe
  • Lantana
  • Liriope
  • Nasturtium
  • Oleanders
  • Palmetto
  • Periwinkle
  • Purple Coneflower
  • Shrimp Plant
  • Spiderwort
  • Tropical Sage
  • Verbena
  • Yaupon Holly
  • Yucca

 

VIDEO: Erin Givens, OUC Vegetation Management Specialist, discusses  the water-saving benefits of Florida-Friendly Landscaping.