News

July is a festive and hot month.  We celebrate our nation's freedom with BBQs and fireworks in the company of family and friends.  What you might not know July is Smart Irrigation Month, an initiative of the Irrigation Association which is a non-profit industry organization dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation.   As the temperature increases so does outdoor water usage.

Smart Watering & Scheduling Tips from the Irrigation Association

- Schedule each individual zone in your irrigation system to account for sun, shade and wind exposure.

- Consider soil type, which affects the how quickly water can be applied and absorbed without runoff.

- Water at the right time of day. Watering when the sun is low, winds are calm and temperatures are cooler minimizes evaporation by as much as 30 percent. The best time to water is during early morning hours.

- Thoroughly soak the root zone (generally within the top six inches of soil for lawns), then let the soil dry. Watering too frequently results in shallow roots and encourages weed growth, disease and fungus.

- Reduce runoff by watering each zone more often for shorter periods. For example, setting your system to run for three, 5-minute intervals with some soak time lets water infiltrate the soil better than watering for 15 minutes at one time.

- Adjust your watering schedule regularly to account for seasonal weather conditions, plant size and other factors. Monthly (or even weekly) adjustments keep plants healthy without overwatering.

- Make sure you're not sending water down the drain. Set sprinklers to water plants, not the parking lot, sidewalk, patio or buildings.