Irrigation - More Water Saving Tips

Have your lawn aerated. Aeration will improve water penetration and encourage deeper roots. The soil plugs produced by aeration should be left on the lawn, as they can help decompose thatch.

Watering your lawn in two short cycles is better than one long cycle. By splitting your watering time in half and by repeating it again about one hour later, you will reduce water runoff and water more deeply.

Apply fertilizer sparingly. Fertilization should be done only to encourage root development and to replace essential nutrients lost due to leaching and transpiration.

Evaluate your lawn irrigation sprinkler system. Old and poorly designed sprinkler systems can be very inefficient. Upgrade your existing system. Consider looking into an ET Controller, the newest irrigation technology that will save you time and money.

Inspect and fine-tune your sprinkler system. Sprinkler heads should be inspected regularly for coverage and blockage. Timers should be adjusted monthly for weather and other conditions. If monthly adjustments are not possible, then adjust the timer twice a year (October and June), scheduling less water on plants in October and applying more water in June to coincide with the dry summer months.

Hand pull weeds as they appear on your lawn. Weeds can thrive in a drought-stressed lawn. Besides being unsightly, weeds will rob your lawn of water and nutrients and push out the desirable grasses.

If you must, apply a pre-emergent herbicide (prevents weeds). Pre-emergent herbicides, intended for use on lawn, can prevent major weed infestations. To be effective, these materials must be applied prior to the germination of weeds like Crabgrass, Spurge, and Oxalis.

To find out how well moisture moves through your soil, water for 30 minutes, then wait 24 hours.  Dig a hole or use a soil-sampling probe (a long, hollow tube available at irrigation supply stores) to assess if the water has moved beyond the first few inches of soil. If not, you probably have poorly draining soil.

Most established (usually three years or more) landscape trees and shrubs need infrequent watering. Check the soil moisture level at a depth of four to six inches. The plant should not be wilted, but the soil should be dry to the touch and crumble in the hand before watering.

Water when it’s cool, during the evenings or early morning. Watering in midday when the weather is hot, dry, or windy can waste water due to excessive evaporation. Morning watering lessens the chances of mildew and soil-borne fungi.

A controlled irrigation system delivers water steadily and predictably. Consider installing a drip system with a controller. The low flow rate of a drip system allows the water to soak in slowly to the plant roots. The deep penetration of drip irrigation water encourages deep, strong, root systems and reduces water loss from the soil due to evaporation. Want to learn more about drip irrigation? Click here.

Build watering basins. A basin around the root area of plants will aid in the deep watering of new or established landscape trees and shrubs. Slowly fill the basin with water to allow the soil to accept the water without runoff. However, don’t let water remain in a pool around the plant’s crown. Larger plants may require more than one fill-up per watering cycle. (If your plants are on drip, a basin is not necessary).

All landscape plants will benefit from a two-to-three-inch protective layer of organic mulch on the soil surface above the root area. Mulch will moderate soil temperature (keep soil cool), reduce water evaporation between watering, and reduce undesirable weeds.

Faulty sprinklers, broken hoses, and loose faucet fittings all waste water, so keep them in good repair.

Slopes and swales may direct water away from the garden. Channel the water or, better yet, prevent runoff by installing a drip irrigation system on slopes.

               A spray emitter over watered the planting bed, which has

               caused the soil to slump and erode.

Cultivate lightly under plants or use a liquid soil penetrant to hasten water penetration to the roots. Reduced evaporation and soil erosion will take place if water soaks in quickly.

Trees, overhead arbors, and buildings all block the sun’s rays, which results in reduced evaporation of water. You can create shade over critical areas, such as water features, with trees or structures.

If you have trees or shrubs in paved areas where their drip lines cannot be watered, use a root feeder. The needlelike probe on the end of this tool injects water deep (to a depth of 18 inches) into the root zone of the plant, and can cut the watering frequency of some large trees to only three times a year. Be sure to work in concentric circles around the drip line of the tree or shrub canopy.