Smart Summer Watering Tips to Beat the Heat
June 19, 2018 | By webadmin
With summer heat upon us, your lawn and landscape might be feeling a little stressed out. There are smart ways to water your lawn and landscape plants that can get them through the summer stress, but not blow up your water bill.
A recent column in the Dallas Morning News, detailed the importance and effectiveness water restrictions have had on Dallas. Since the restrictions were adopted in 2012, the city’s water pumping has decreased by 13%. WOW! But, North Texas still uses more water outdoors than any other region of the state. And with the ever increasing population in the area--Collin County’s water demand alone will increase by 84% in the next 50 years--so there’s a good reason to be smarter about how we water our landscapes.
Water Restriction Reminder
As a refresher, in Dallas you are allowed to water twice per week, based off of the last digit of your address. Sprinkler systems should be set to run only after 6 pm and before 10 am. Evaporation due to heat is lower during this time period so you’ll waste less water during this time. Watering by drip irrigation, soaker hoses, and hand is permitted any day and time, but you should still be aware of evaporation during the hottest times of day.
Find your allowable watering days below
from savedallaswater.com
What about my lawn? Will that be enough water?
Yes! Established lawns and landscapes only require the equivalent of 1” of rainfall water per week. And that’s only if it isn’t raining at all. If we’ve gotten rain, you may not need to water at all. This amount of irrigation water can be easily delivered by following the twice a week schedule.
Deep Water, Deep Roots
Many people get into the habit of watering too often for too short of a duration, which in turn creates weak root systems that are unable to withstand summer temperatures and periods of drought. Deeper, less frequent irrigation allows root systems of plants to grow deeper and more expansive, allowing them to absorb more water at a time. Deeper roots help to develop a stronger, healthier plant. A longer, soaking watering once per week is best for an established lawn. You’re better off to water fewer times per week, but lengthen the duration of the watering time.
Right Plant, Right Place
If you’d like to lower your water consumption even further, think about switching to low-water use native and adapted plants. Once established, such plants won’t require much supplemental watering from you. Also, do not forget to mulch. Mulch cools the soil and reduces water evaporation from the soil.
What About Runoff?
If you are following proper watering methods but still see lots of water runoff down your sidewalk or street, you may need to have core aeration performed on your lawn. Since our soils are notoriously heavy, it is easy for them to become compacted and less able to absorb water. By performing core aeration, the soil subsurface opens up and reduces the compaction. These openings then allow oxygen, water and fertilizer to percolate into the soil where it can reach your lawn’s roots. When new air spaces are created in the soil, drainage improves, causing less water runoff and reducing water waste.
Not only are you doing your part to help conserve water for the future by reducing runoff caused by needless watering, you also help to keep our streams and waterways cleaner. Runoff produced by overwatering sends yard waste and chemicals into the stormwater system, which eventually makes its way into Texas streams and lakes. Help keep the waterways more enjoyable by curbing water waste.
Soak & Cycle Method
If you are having water runoff, you can also switch to a soak & cycle method of irrigation. Instead of watering your lawn once for 30 minutes, break up the 30 minutes of watering into 3 separate 10-minute watering sessions, on the same day. By breaking up the watering times, you’ll allow the water to soak in before the next watering begins.
Call us if you need a tune up on the irrigation system, or if you see excessive runoff. We want to help you become more water-smart all while lowering your water bills and creating a healthier landscape.
