July 12, 2004 Weekly Water Saving Tip

July 14, 2003

During the hot months of July and August, on bright sunny days like we’ve had, the loss of water from plants may be faster than can be taken up by the roots. When this happens, leaves, stems and roots may have water deficits even in moist soil. The plants may show signs of wilting during the heat of the afternoon, but this will have little or no effect on the growth of the plant. The addition of water at this time can actually have a detrimental effect on the plants by having too much water in the soil. Most plants in the landscape die from over watering, not under watering. So irrigate only when needed. Always check the soil moisture before turning the irrigation system on. This is especially true during the hottest part of the summer. It is important even with these hot temperatures to let the soil dry out one to two inches. Too much water stresses the plants just as too little. Air in the soil is just as important to the growth of the plants as is water and over watering does not allow the needed air in the root zone.

Irrigation for turf is still every three to four days. Remember, most of the communities now have a time of day watering restriction, so check with you city hall to know the time restriction in your area. But restriction or not, hopefully everyone is being water-wise in our sixth year of drought and not irrigating during the heat of the day. During this time of year the cool season grasses, such as the fescue varieties (which most of us have), will actually stop growing and shut down during the hottest part of the day, thereby requiring less water. So, even though July’s temperatures are hotter than June’s, irrigation frequency does not increase. Make sure that when you do irrigate you are getting the water down six inches into the root zone. This helps to get the roots deep, give a bigger reservoir of water storage and of course this retains the moisture for longer periods of time. This will also help to dilute the salts that are building up in the soils. Keeping only the top couple of inches moist will concentrate those salts in a much smaller area and can become toxic to the plants with the shallower root systems.

Now is the time to take it easy in the garden. Don’t tackle any new projects that expose you to the heat and might require extra water. Carry out only regular maintenance and watch for troubled areas.

This weekly water saving tip is provided to Washington County Water Conservancy District by Dr. Frank Williams, professor of the BYU Horticulture Department. If you have any questions or would like to know more information, please call Julie Breckenridge at 673-3617.