THE RIGHT WATER IN THE RIGHT PLACE

When the weather warms up, customers ask our advice on how to keep their landscape healthy and their water bill down at the same time. Here are the answers to a few of your questions:

When is the best time to water?

Morning is the best time to water your lawn. When you water early, you can water less because more is absorbed into the roots.

How can I prevent water from running down the sidewalk into the gutter?

Instead of watering for 10-15 minutes straight, set your irrigation timer to water for 5-7 minutes, and then set a second watering session for 1-2 hours later. This gives the first watering session time to absorb into the soil. When the second watering begins, the soil is already loose and the absorption rate will be higher, thus preventing most of the runoff.

How can I prevent water from gathering at the bottom of my embankment?

That depends on how many sprinkler stations you have for your embankment. If you have one station that controls the whole hillside, you can usually turn off or lower the volume of the sprinklers at the bottom of the hill by turning down the screws at the top of the sprinkler heads. If you have more than one station that waters the hillside, set the station at the bottom to water less or not at all. The runoff from the upper sprinklers will flow down the hill to water the lower foliage. If you completely turn off the lower station, you may want to increase the watering time on the upper stations to increase runoff.

I have brown patches in certain areas of my lawn. I increased my watering time but it didn't help. Why?

Check the sprinkler heads to make sure they're not blocked. Also, check to see if they are aligned correctly. Most brown spots are due to blockage or incorrect alignment. If all seems well, make sure the water from the sprinklers is reaching the brown spot. If not, you can increase or decrease the range of your sprinklers by adjusting the screw on the top of the sprinkler head.

I water everyday, yet some of my plants are dying. What am I doing wrong?

You could be suffocating your plants. Plant roots need air to survive, and by watering them too often you could be drowning them. Give your plants 1 to 2 days off to give the soil a chance to dry out and the roots a chance to breathe. This will promote deep root growth.

I have moss growing on the side of my house. What is the cause?

Too much water and not enough sunlight. When irrigating shady areas, watering times can be reduced since evaporation is minimal. Eliminating 1 or 2 days from the watering cycle in this area may help to dry out the soil and reduce your moss problem.