Water Wisely

• “The type of plant materials or irrigation system in a landscape has much less effect on water consumption that the human factor of good landscape water management.” Doug Welsh, Ph. D. and past president of the National Xeriscape Council
• Over-watering weakens turf plants more than under-watering. Watering to attain a medium green turf color results in a deeper root system and less time required for maintenance.
• The best time for watering an established lawn is from 4 a.m. to noon. Why? Less wind and evaporation plus less risk of disease on the leaf blade.
• For sloped areas, avoid wasteful run-off by programming multiple, shorter watering events rather than one longer watering event.
• Poorly designed or maintained irrigation systems are big water wasters. Visually inspect your irrigation system at least once every season. While the sprinklers are running, look for malfunctioning sprinklers, excessive run-off or clogged drips emitters. Make repairs as needed.
• If you notice dry spots, perform a simple audit of your system. Place empty tuna cans or similar containers 2 feet away from each spray head. Run the system for 15 minutes and measure the water in the cans. Compare the amounts collected. Are some more than others? You may find a brown spot in a lawn is near a sprinkler head that puts out less water or has a poor distribution pattern. Make repairs as needed.
• If your controller does not automatically adjust with the weather, manually adjust your watering times monthly. For weather-based ET Controllers, and a water scheduling guide, go to www.aquaconserve.com
• Plant Hybrid Bermuda grasses such as Tifway, Tifgreen and A-G 1 Bermuda. These “warm-season” grasses have deep root systems and will maintain adequate color in the warm months with less water than “cool season” varieties such as fescue or bluegrass. With as little water as 50% of reference ET, “Bermudagrass quality was good throughout all treatments.” (Youngner, V.B. et al, Water Use and Turf Quality of Warm-season and Cool-season Turfgrasses, California Turfgrass Culture, Summer/Fall 1981)