May 17, 2005 Weekly Water Saving Tip

We had a sneak peak at hot temperatures on Sunday and expect this weekend to hotter. Water doesn’t seem to be so critical this year, but conserving water isn’t about the drought. It’s about meeting our water needs for our growing population and being good stewards of our natural resources. So, here are some guidelines to using water wisely. Turf has used over an inch of moisture this past week. This makes the frequency of irrigation every 5-7 days. Now, this frequency is only a guideline to help you in judging when to water. If your yard has full sunlight, your irrigations may be closer to every 5 days. If you have part shade or mostly shaded turf, you may be able to go up to 7 days before the next irrigation. Areas with a lot of wind will decrease the days between irrigations as well as the heat. Now, turf areas by curbs, gutters, sidewalks and driveways will also dry out faster because these hard surfaces heat up causing a faster moisture loss and may create some dry spots. As dry spots appear in your turf, water them with a hose. Turning the sprinkler system on for a longer time or more often for these dry spots over waters the other turf areas making them unhealthy and as well as wastes water. And just a reminder, water only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

There will be a workshop this Saturday, May 21 titled: Turf Types and Tutelage. Find out the different varieties of turf available and what is best suited for your needs. Learn how to keep your turf healthy and green even in this desert heat and still save on your water bill. The workshop will be held at the Tonaquint Nature Center at 10 a.m. Space is limited so please call 673-3617 to reserve your spot.

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