April 5, 2004 Weekly Water Saving Tip

Weekly Water Saving Tip #14

April 5, 2004

Aeration is important for a healthy lawn and extremely important for the conservation of water. We have had some cool temperatures and received some moisture, and now is the time to prepare for the long, dry summer. Anything to help in conserving water will be important. Aeration will reduce compaction of the soil and increase the surface area by up to 110%. The small holes allows for greater infiltration by serving as little reservoirs for storage of water. It will also reduce thatch as well as increase the amount of air and water getting to the roots. This increase of air and water movement means you will be watering more efficiently. When aerating, the best results are achieved by making 2-3 passes over your lawn in different directions; such as north and south; east and west and then diagonal. And leave the cores on the surface; after mowing a few times they will disappear.

Deep and infrequent irrigation is important this time of year. This type of irrigation will encourage deep roots. The best time to water is in the early morning while the evaporation is at its lowest point and the pressure of the irrigation system will be at its best peak performance. Irrigation is every 5 to 7 days. But, before going out and turning on the water, check and make sure the soil's surface has dried down one to two inches. Then, after irrigating check the roots of your lawn and make sure the moisture has reached them. If not, you need to run your system longer. Add some more time and then check again. Also, if you notice runoff during irrigation, turn off the system and wait for about an hour and then repeat this pattern until the full irrigation time has been met. The objective is to get the water down as quickly as possible without runoff. Trees and shrubs should only need water every 20 days.

If you are truly interested in conserving water and having an acceptable landscape, you must spend time in your yard. Observation and knowledge of your garden is the key to water conservation. Get in the habit of checking your sprinkler system regularly to insure that it is working properly. In addition, keep weeds out of your garden; they compete for water with the other plants.

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.