Texas Coastal Watershed Program releases WaterSmart video series

Contact: Charriss York, 281-218-6329, cyork@tamu.edu

HOUSTON — A series of videos to educate homeowners about low-maintenance, low-cost and low-impact landscaping techniques has been released by The Texas Coastal Watershed Program, a partner of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Sea Grant College Program at Texas A&M University.

Five brief WaterSmart landscaping videos are available at http://watersmart.tamu.edu/watersmart-videos/. WaterSmart is an approach to landscaping based on three principles — water conservation, water quality and habitat for wildlife — that are described in more detail in the first video in the series, according to Charriss York, stormwater program specialist with the Texas Coastal Watershed Program in Houston.

The use of native plants is featured in two videos — one aimed at Texas residents and the other for viewers anywhere.

“Gardeners, landscapers and homeowners can get great results from their landscaping projects if they use native plants from their area, because they are the best suited for local climate and soil conditions,” York said. “Native plants tend to require less watering and don’t need chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides to thrive.”

Native plants also naturally complement each other to function as an ecosystem that is more drought- and flood-tolerant and provides better wildlife habitat, she said.

Another video focuses on composting, which is an easy way to add nutrients to the soil  and helps improve soil structure and increase its moisture-holding abilities. Composting recycles organic material such as grass, yard clippings, non-animal kitchen scraps and paper through controlled decomposition. As the organic materials decompose, they turn into a rich, dark humus material that improves all soil types, York noted.

The final video explains WaterSmart irrigation, which is the practice of applying water to landscapes only where and when it is needed thus reducing runoff into storm sewers, drainage ditches or waterways.

For more information about WaterSmart practices, contact York at 281-694-5508 or cyork@tamu.edu.