March 9, 2004 Weekly Water Saving Tip

The weather continues to warm up with each passing day. This coming week is predicted to a warm one. But, the night temperatures are cool enough that little growth of the plants are occurring, the soil temperature are still where the roots are making only a small amount of growth. With each warm spell the plants are triggered to begin growing, but the danger is still there that a late frost may come and damage the plants. The longer we can delay the rapid growth, the hardier the plants will be. Holding back on the irrigation of the landscape will help to slow down the growth of these plants. The past storms have helped our water outlook, but our water situation is still classified as extreme drought. If you have already started, turn off the irrigation system for a while. The moisture that we have received has helped and the soil is moist.

This also is the time to be watchful for any skunks or birds digging in the lawn, this can be a sure sign of grubs and will call for treatment to stop damage to the turf. The damage the grubs make may not show up until the hot summer days are upon us. Weeds may also begin to show up in areas near the sidewalk, curb and gutter, and driveway. Treating these localized areas now will many times eliminate the need to treat the entire lawn. This will save money and also reduce the amount of chemical that is released into the environment.

The Weekly Water Saving is provided to Washington County Water Conservancy District by Dr. Frank Williams of the BYU Horticulture Department. For more information, call Julie Breckenridge at 673-3617.