Key Takeaways
Mulching is a favored water-conservation strategy, as it keeps soil cool, reduces evaporation, and suppresses weeds.
Switching to drip irrigation and using smart timers ensures water goes directly to plant roots, reducing waste and boosting efficiency.
Simple tweaks like watering early in the day, choosing native plants, and grouping plants by water needs can significantly cut down on water use.
Water is vital to the success of any garden, and once you’ve dialed in the right amount and the best time of day to water, it’ll feel like you’ve hit the botanical jackpot as lush blooms start to pop up. But there’s one more factor that could throw a wrench in your gardening routine: how much water is often wasted on landscaping.
According to WaterSense, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnership program, residential outdoor water use accounts for nearly 9 billion gallons daily, primarily for landscape irrigation, and up to 50% of this water is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. This inefficiency leads to higher utility bills and places added pressure on local water resources.
So, what can you do to help conserve water in your garden? We asked experts for their best tips to help you create a more sustainable landscaping routine, and they all agreed there’s one thing you can do to save water and help your plants thrive.
Related: How Often to Water Your Garden in the Summer
The Easiest Thing You Can Do to Conserve Water in Your Garden
According to the pros we spoke with, adding mulch around your plants is a game-changer for anyone looking to adopt more sustainable gardening practices. “It’s the simplest way I’ve found for conserving water in the garden,” says Ren Elizabeth, the gardener behind Eco-Friendly Homestead.
Using organic, herbicide-free mulch—such as straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves—helps insulate the soil, minimize evaporation, and suppress weeds, explains Luke Hammond, a small-scale regenerative farmer and consultant at Seedtime. “It’s one of the most effective water-saving techniques, because it can reduce surface evaporation by up to 70%,” he adds.
Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery, agrees. “The mulch works to retain soil moisture while simultaneously protecting roots from heat during scorching weather,” she says. “Mulching is an easy win.”
Mulching also offers lasting benefits. As it breaks down over time, the material turns into organic matter that improves the soil’s ability to hold water in future growing seasons—not just the current one, Elizabeth explains. It also helps stop weed seeds from germinating.
More Tips for Conserving Water in Your Garden
Of course, mulching isn’t the only way to save water in your garden. Here, the pros share additional tips to help you conserve even more.
Install a Drip Irrigation System
“The transition to a soaker hose or drip system from traditional sprinklers has greatly improved my watering efficiency, because it directs water straight to the root zone,” Sons says.
Elizabeth explains that compared to overhead watering with a hose, drip irrigation is a lot more efficient, because all of the water is going to where the plant needs it at the soil level. Drip irrigation releases water drip by drip at a slow pace, so you prevent any water run-off from happening, and less water is wasted on the leaves, where it can evaporate quickly in the heat of the summer.
“In terms of net gallons of water saved, I think that my drip irrigation system likely has the biggest impact on our water savings,” Elizabeth points out. “While a drip irrigation system is a bit of an upfront investment, for larger gardens that need to save water, it’s totally worth it in the long run.”
Tips
It’s crucial to schedule routine maintenance of your irrigation system—just one broken or missing sprinkler head could waste as much as 25,000 gallons of water and hundreds of dollars over a six-month irrigation season if it is not repaired.
Set Timers
“If you go for drip irrigation, I can’t recommend putting it on a timer system enough,” Elizabeth says. It can be easy to forget that you left the water on the drip system running, and potentially leave it going all day, which would waste a lot of water—instead of conserving it.
Hammond recommends Orbit’s B-Hyve irrigation timers for those open to investing. “Smart irrigation controllers like B-hyve can sync with weather data to prevent overwatering and adjust schedules automatically,” he explains. “Moisture sensors, which can be inserted into the soil, help indicate when water is actually needed.”
Water Early in the Day
The time of day you water your plants can significantly impact how much water your garden uses. Why? Watering in the early morning minimizes evaporation, allowing moisture to soak into the soil before the sun’s heat intensifies. This not only curbs water waste but also helps plants better withstand heat stress later in the day.
If you live in very hot areas, consider shade cloth or windbreaks to further reduce evaporation, Hammond recommends.
Opt for Native Plants
Native plants or drought-adapted varieties (like lavender, yarrow, or many herbs) naturally require less water and thrive in local conditions.
“I focus on planting native species because they require less water to grow well,” Sons says. “Implementing these small changes results in water conservation while providing a more intentional gardening experience that strengthens the bond between you and the environment.”
Group Similar Plants Together
“Personally, I reduce water use in my garden by grouping plants with similar water needs together, so no plant is over- or under-watered,” Hammond says. This strategy helps maximize efficiency and keeps each plant properly hydrated.
Related: How to Create a Drought-Resistant Garden That Still Looks Lush
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