Landscape & Irrigation Tips
Soils and Plants:
Improve the soil by adding organic matter. Dig compost into the soil to improve its moisture-holding ability, provide additional nutrients to the plants and to help with drainage in poorly draining clay soils.
Water Efficiently. Run irrigation systems only in the cooler hours-between 7 PM and 10 am-to avoid evaporation. Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation in planting beds to apply water directly to the roots. Apply water directly where needed to minimize evaporation or runoff and prevent plant disease.
Mulch your plantings. Organic mulch, such as compost or shredded bark, applied to the surface of soil retains water longer and reduces weed germination. Choose woody mulch for trees and shrubs, or use composted material for annuals and perennials.
For new landscape installations, choose low water use plants for immediate beauty and future water savings. While all plants need water until they are established-often one to three years-by starting out with the right plants in the right place for your site, develop a landscape that will thrive with little irrigation during this regions dry summers.
Group plants according to water needs. If planting a new landscape or fixing an existing one, avoid mixing plants that need regular watering with those that need little to no water. Plants will be healthier when they receive just the water they need.
Use best turf practices to keep lawns healthy and reduce water needs:
- Prepare soil with compost and use locally adapted seeds. Fall is the best time to plant.
- Aerate turf before summer to improve water penetration, especially on the slopes.
- If lawns have excess thatch (more than 1/2 inch), de-thatch in fall or early spring.
- Raise moving heights to 1 1/2 to 2 inches to improve rooting depth.
- Leave the clippings. "Grasscycling" doesn't cause thatch, but does make lawns healthier and more drought resistant. Grasscycling can also reduce fertilizer needs by 25-50%.
- Keep mower blades sharp, to avoid tearing and stressing the grass.
Consider letting lawns go brown. Grass naturally goes dormant in dry summer conditions, and greens up again in the fall. Water dormant lawns deeply once each rainless month to keep roots alive. High traffic areas should be watered more regularly.
In the fall, overseed any thin areas to bring back a lush lawn. Aerate, overseed, then topdress with compost, and fertilize with "slow-release" or "natural organic" fertilizer.
Improve Irrigation Performance:
Scheduling Efficiently
- Irrigate between 7 PM and 10 am to reduce evaporation.
- Use water budget formula to determine appropriate water use.
- Adjust irrigation timing throughout the irrigation season.
Maintenance
Each month check the system for broken heads, leaks and other major water wasting problems and fix system to avoid run-off, low-head drainage, overspray, or other similar conditions where irrigation water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, or impervious surfaces.
Equipment Upgrades
Install a rain shutoff device for each controller. For multi-controller irrigation systems, install central control systems that read real-time ET and have flow sensors. Flow sensors automatically turn irrigation systems off in the event of leaks or broken heads and locate the problem areas at the central control unit.
