Hello,
It is a known fact that soil organic matter saves lawn irrigation water. The amount depends on soil texture, climate, lawn grass species and a few other factors. Does anyone know about ballpark numbers or calculations/trials on how much water is actually saved per surface unit of lawn (square meter, acre, etc.) and day, month or season with each additional per cent of organic matter in soil? Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Dieter
Water Savings with Compost
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See www.soilsforsalmon.org/why.htm http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/biology.html We teach citizens to put out a tuna can on their lawn, and when it is full, the watering is done.
Kirsten Weinmeister
Grants/Recycling Coordinator
City of Snoqualmie
Public Works Department
38194 S.E. Stearns Road
Post Office Box 987
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
425-831-4919 extension 23
Fax: 425-831-4798
...
I work on outdoor water conservation in Seattle. We advocate mulching garden beds and topdressing lawns as a way to retain moisture in the soil, and a majority of our single-family customers now report that they apply mulch to garden beds. But I am not aware of any research that actually supports (you say it's a "known fact"--do you have any papers you could share?) or quantifies the benefits in terms of water conservation. I also realize that it's irrelevant whether people mulch if they do not change their watering practices. We still see many people who water far too frequently (especially if they use an automatic irrigation system). I think it's safe to say that most people really don't have a clear idea about when or how much they need to water. We encourage people to check the soil moisture, but that's just too much effort for most people most of the time. So it's not enough just to add organic matter if you are concerned about water use or runoff/surface water quality. You also have to change people's watering practices, which turns out to be much more difficult.
Best,
Allegra