April 26, 2005 Weekly Water Saving Tip

Turf irrigation about 7 to 10 days. The cool night and moisture we have received requires less supplemental irrigation to the plants. One of the most important factors for conserving water is watering deep and less frequently. Before irrigations, make sure the surface has dried down to a 1-1 ½ inch depth before watering again.

Do at least a weekly inspection of the water systems and your plants. This is important, it helps you keep on top of any problems that may arise. This is not only for the sprinkling system, but if you have a drip system in the shrub beds you need to take special effort to make sure it is working. Maintenance is every bit as important in both type systems. A good time to check the irrigation system is after each mowing.

Again, we can reduce our use, even when the hot weather is upon us, just by:

• Watering deep and less frequently.
• Mowing our turf at a 2 ½ - 3 inch height.
• Not watering in the heat of the day.

These practices don’t demand more of your time, just a conscious effort do it.

The weekly water saving is provided to Washington County Water Conservancy District by Dr. Frank Williams, professor at BYU Horticulture Department. For more information you can call Julie Breckenridge at 673-3617.