Estimating landscape irrigation needs

Our office has recently been receiving calls about water bills and landscape plants. The rising cost of water will only continue to influence plant choices as we move forward.

UC’s A Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings in California: The Landscape Coefficient Method and Water Use Classification of Landscape Species is a helpful resource and can be accessed online in its entirety.

Color photos, tables, and fully explained formulas can be found throughout this highly organized 160 publication. Chapters include:

Estimating water requirements for crops and turf
Estimating water needs for landscape plantings
Using the landscape coefficient formula
Using the landscape coefficient to estimate landscape evapotranspiration
Irrigation efficiency and calculating the total amount of water to apply
Putting it all together: A worksheet for calculations
Using water estimates in landscape planning and management
Special planting situations
UC ANR publications can help reduce water bills while maintaining beautiful and healthy landscapes. Photo by Jack Kelly Clark.