January
Nov. and Dec. brought us little to no rain and Drought 92 is on the horizon. Conservative water use now will pay off during the summer when watering is critical. Remember, longer dryout periods between irrigations encourages the plants to grow deeper roots. Overwatering robs oxygen and destroys deep roots. Irregularities that you may come across are from frost damage and not from a lack of water.
February
We ARE facing the possibility of a sixth drought year. So, remember, watering less during the winter helps the plants to develop those strong root systems they'll need to depend upon when the heat is on during the summer. You can actually say that you're 'getting the roots in shape for summer.
Turn off the panic button! Just because you see your neighbor watering the yard doesn't mean that you need to. Dry soil on top doesn't mean the soil is dry below. Check it out. Probe the soil 6" below the surface and you'll be amazed how wet it is.
Overwatering robs oxygen and destroys deep roots. Irregularities that you may come across are from frost damage and not from a lack of water. You may need to water the lawns and landscape once this month. Turn off all systems and operate your clock manually. The only required watering this month is after your lawn feeding. Use the garden hose to water your potted plants and those underneath the eaves.
March
Don't follow a rigid irrigation schedule yet. March can still bring us at least one or two more storrns. Now's the time to make sure that your irrigation is ready to operate at its maximum. Is the clock running correctly? Check the valves. Are the heads cleaned and free of debris? Do they reach their target areas?
Be sure to water your lawn when you receive the lawn feeding and pre-emergent treatments. If there's no rain at all during the month, turn on your lawn pop-ups for 30 min. (3, 10 min. intervals), or the Rainbirds and rotors for 45 min. (3, 15 min. intervals). Water the landscape for 30 min. if there's no rain in March.
April
April's the month to inspect your irrigation to get it primed for the growing season. Turn on the sprinklers to notice which heads are clogged with debris or missing their target areas. Unclog them and make the necessary adjustments. Then 'ring the sprinkler heads". Take a weed eater and cut a ring around each sprinkler head to remove the grass that interferes with the water flow of the nozzle.
Luckily, we received adequate rainfall in March. Let's use this to our advantage and avoid a rigid irrigation schedule for April.
Use the guidelines below for irrigating in April.
1. The Pre-emergent application to the landscape during the first part of April will need to be watered in.
2. The Complete Yard Fertilization during the second half of the month will need to be watered in.
3. If there's no rain and the weather warms up, you may need to irrigate the lawn a third time. Run the system for 30 minutes (3, 10 minute intervals). Set the times for 6:00 P.m., midnight and 4:00 A.M.
May
The first schedule is for those who want to continue stretching their water use. Choose one and set your clock accordingly. Call if you want us to set your clock. Replace the batteries in your clock.
Split your watering time into thirds to allow a deeper saturation and eliminate runoff. For example: water the lst interval at 12:OO A.M., the 2nd interval at 3:00 A.m. and the 3rd interval at 5:00 A.M.
May Schedule A
Run Pop-ups for 24 min. (3,8 min. intervals) every 5th day.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3,12 min. intervals) every 5th day.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 45 min. (3, 15 min. intervals) every 5th day.
Water the landscape for 45 minutes (3, 15 min.) every 10th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns only
May Schedule B
Run Pop-ups for 18 min. (3,6 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Impacts & Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., & Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 45 min. (3, 15 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 36 minutes (3, 12 min.) every 5th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyJune
The schedule below is designed to make the water work for you. In some cases you may need to add a little bit more, or you might discover that you can get by with a little less. A pop-up is not the same as a single or multi stream rotor, so be sure to match your sprinklers up with the proper instructions. Call us if you have any doubts.
Split your watering time into thirds to allow a deeper saturation and eliminate runoff. For example: water the lst interval at 1:00 A.M., the 2nd interval at 3:00 A.M. and the 3rd interval at 5:00 A.M.
June Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 18 min. (3, 6 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 45 min. (3, 15 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 36 minutes (3, 12 min.) every 7th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyWhen daytime temps exceed 90 degrees, you must water your yard for 8 min. that evening to replace the water it lost during transpiration.
July
When its hot outside, our most common concern always has to do with dry spots in the lawns and landscape. How many of you have sworn up and down and all around that you watered in your lawns and landscape properly and that yes, your sprinkler coverage is adequate but then later discovered that there was an irrigation problem after all. And once it was repaired, the problem was immediately solved. Here are some things to look for. Please call if you need assistance.
A dry spot on the lawn is often due to a clogged pop-up. Look for an insect or foreign object in the nozzle. Or, the grass around the nozzle could be too high and obstructing the pop-up from getting above it. Or the pop-up could be out of adjustment and missing its target area.
Lawn impacts tend to be only 1 1/2" above the ground so it's very important that you take your weedeater and cut a 2-3" diameter "ring" around each impact. This will allow it the room it needs to get over the top of the grass blades. Also, when impacts are out of adjustment they tend to just water from point A to point B without watering the space in between.
In the landscape it's not uncommon to find risers covered with ground cover that has twisted itself around it. Pop-ups in the landscape can be obstructed by a shrubbery that has grown in front of it. Single and multiple stream rotors should have their patterns crossing each other, for example rotary 1 should hit rotary 2 and vice versa.
We recommend that you follow Schedule A first and then switch over to Schedule B when the weather heats up.
When temperatures exceed 90 degrees, water your yard for 8 min. that evening to replace the water it lost during transpiration.
July schedule A
Run Pop-ups for 24 min. (3, 8 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon. and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3,12 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon. and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3, 12 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon. and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 36 minutes (3, 12 min. intervals) every 10th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns only
July Schedule B
Run Pop-ups for 21 min. (3, 7 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues. and Fri.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues. and Fri.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3,12min. intervals) 3times weekly, Sun., Tues. and Fri.
Water the landscape for 30 minutes (3, 1 0 min. intervals) once a week.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. once weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyAugust
There's no water to waste! Take the time to check your lawn and landscape sprinkler systems. Make sure they're in adjustment and hitting their desired target areas. If a head is clogged, look for an insect or small object in the nozzle. How to avoid dieback in the lawn? Ring your irrigation. Take a weed eater and cut a 4" diameter ring shape around each sprinkler head in the lawn so they can remain unobstructed and reach ABOVE the grass blades. Continue to cut the grasses high. Set your lawn mower wheels to 5-5 all the way around. Keep your lawn mower blade sharpened because the lawn needs extra water to recover from a dull cut.
In the landscape you may find a shrubbery growing directly in front of a shrub head riser, therefore restricting the function of that riser. Relocate the riser and bring out it into the open between two shrubberies so it can hit the target area it was designed to.
We recommend that you follow Schedule A first and then switch over to Schedule B when the weather heats up. Stay closely to the schedules but if you think you can tolerate a longer dry out period than do it. What penetrates better? A nice long slow rain or one big downpour? For example, watering once for 10 min. is like a downpour but splitting your watering into 3 well spaced intervals during the night is like simulating a long slow rain.
When temperatures exceed 92 degrees, water your yard for 1 cycle that evening to replace the water it lost during transpiration.
August Schedule A
Run Pop-ups for 24 min. (3, 8 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon. and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3,12 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon. and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3, 12 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon. and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 36 minutes (3, 12 min. intervals) every 10th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns only
August Schedule B
Run Pop-ups for 18 min. (3, 6 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues. and Fri.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues. and Fri.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3,12 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues. and Fri.
Water the landscape for 30 minutes (3, 10 min. intervals) once a week.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. once weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlySeptember
Was August hot enough for you? If September follows last month's trend, you'll find that the Irrigation Schedule below will give enough water to get through even the hottest days. In the case of some cooler days and nights, use your good judgement to determine how much (less) water to give outside of the schedule.
Continue to check your lawn and landscape sprinklers for clogs and badly needed adjustments. Ring your irrigation. Take a weed eater and cut a 4" diameter ring shape around each sprinkler in the lawn so they can remain unobstructed and reach above the grass blades.
When daytime temps exceed 92 degrees, water your yard for 1 cycle that night to replace the water it lost during transpiration.
September Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 18 min. (3, 6 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues., and Fri.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3, 10 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues., and Fri.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3, 12 min. intervals) 3 times weekly, Sun., Tues., and Fri.
Water the landscape for 30 minutes (3, 10 min. intervals) twice weekly.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyOctober
For now, continue to follow last month's schedule, Switch to the new schedule when October's cooler climate takes over.
October Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 24 min. (3,8 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 36 min. (3,12 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 42 min. (3, 14 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 30 minutes (3, 10 min.) once a week.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. once weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyNovember
October's last minute rainfall was delightful. It gives us the opportunity to turn off our irrigation system and water on an as needed basis. The November Schedule is here for those who prefer the convenience of one. Always follow the watering intructions we leave you on the yellow tag after we've completed a treatment.
November Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 12 min. (2,6 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 24 min. (2,12 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 28 min. (2, 14 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 30 minutes (2, 12 min.) every 10th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. once weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyDecember
TURN OFF ALL SYSTEMS and operate your clock manually. The rains and cold temps will keep our soils from drying out. Long dry-out periods encourage the plants to grow deeper roots. The only time we'll ask you to irrigate is after we complete a treatment and leave you instructions on the yellow tag. Use the garden hose to water your potted plants and those underneath the eaves.
1993 Irrigation Schedules
January
TURN OFF ALL SYSTEMS and operate your clock manually. The rains and cold temps will continue to keep our soils from drying out. The only time we'll ask you to irrigate this month is after we fertilize your lawn. Use the garden hose to water your potted plants and those underneath the eaves.
February
TURN OFF ALL SYSTEMS. The recent rainstorms have completely saturated our soils. Use the garden hose to water your potted plants and those underneath the eaves.
March
Don't follow a rigid irrigation schedule yet- March can still bring us one or two more storms. In the meantime, check to see if your irrigation system is ready to operate at its maximum efficiency. Is the clock running correctly? Check the valves. Are the heads cleaned and free of debris? Do they reach their target areas?
FOLLOW ONLY IF MARCH DOESN'T BRING US ANY RAIN:
March Backup Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 24 min. (3,8 min. intervals), if needed.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals), if needed.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3, 10 min. intervals), if needed.April
April's the month to inspect your irrigation system and get it tuned up for the growing season. First, turn on all of the sprinklers and observe which ones aren't hitting their target areas and then make the necessary adjustments. Determine which heads are clogged with debr s and clean them out. Finally, to remove the grasses that interfere with the water flow of the nozzle, take a weed eater and cut a ring shape around each sprinkler head. We refer to this as 'Ringing the Irrigation'. Continue to avoid a rigid irrigation schedule. Use the guidelines below for April Irrigation:
- Water the landscape areas after we apply the Pre-Emergent during the first part of April.
- Water the lawn and the landscape after we fertilize the entire yard during the second half of april.
- In between, if the weather warms up you may need to water the lawn again. Run the system for 30 minutes (3 10 min. intervals).
May
Let's not mistake the end of our mandatory water rationing as an excuse to completely throw aside the water management principles we've learned and practiced so carefully during these past drought years. Yes, we can loosen up a bit, but please remember, there is still only enough water to use and not enough to waste.
We recommend that you replace the batteries in your irrigation clock. Call if you want us to come out and set the clock for you.
Splitting the watering time into thirds will help to allow a deeper saturation and eliminate runoff. For example, water the first interval at 12:00 A.M., the second interval at 3:00 A.M. and the third interval at 5:00 A.M.
May Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 18 min. (3,6 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 45 min. (3, 15 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 36 min utes (3, 12 min.) every 5th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyThe irrigation schedule is designed to make the water work for you. In some cases you may need to add a little bit more, or you may discover thay you can get by with using a little less. A pop-up is not the same as a single or multi stream rotor, so take care to follow the correct instructions. Call us if you have any doubts.
When daytime temperatures esceed 90 degrees, you must water your yard for one cycle that evening to replace the water it lost during transpiration.
June Schedule
Run Pop-ups for 24 min. (3,8 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Impacts and Single Stream Rotors for 30 min. (3,10 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Run Multi Stream Rotors for 45 min. (3, 15 min. intervals) twice weekly, Mon., and Thurs.
Water the landscape for 36 minutes (3, 12 min.) every 5th day.
Run drip 2-4 hrs. twice weekly.
The first three apply to lawns onlyJuly
Like it or not, a dry spot in the lawn or landscape will occasionally appear when the weather is hot. Don't let this cause you unnecessary grief Take a deep breath and remember that dry spots are mainly caused by simple irrigation problems that you can solve immediately. The most common problems are listed below. Please call if you need assistance.
In the lawns:
- A dry spot on the lawn is often due to a clogged pop-up. Unscrew the nozzle and remove the insect or foreign object that's blocking the water flow.
- Grasses around the nozzle can get too high and obstruct the pop-ups and impacts from reaching above it, therefore restricting its flow. To provide adequate clearance, take your weedeater and cut a 2-3" diameter 'ring" around each sprinkler.
- If an out of adjustment sprinkler is missing its target area, simply take a screwdriver and adjust the screw on top of the nozzle while the water is running.
- When impacts are out of adjustment they tend to just water from point A to point B without watering the space in between.
- Overgrown shrubs and ground covers that encroach upon lawns should be trimmed back behind the benderboard because they interfere with the flow of the lawn sprinklers.
- A dry spot can occur when there is too much distance between two sprinklers. This is corrected by adding another sprinkler in between the two.
In the landscape:
- Ground covers that have twisted themselves around riser sprinklers end up obstructing the water flow. Cut the ground cover off of the riser.
- A shrub can obstruct sprinkler performance by growing in front of it. Simply relocate the sprinkler or shrubbery.
- Single and multiple stream rotors should have their patterns crossing each other: Rotary 1 should hit rotary 2 and vice versa.
Each July we offer 2 irrigation schedules. Start with Schedule A. If you need to irrigate longer, switch to Schedule B.Split your watering time into thirds to allow a deeper saturation. Water the 1st interval at 1:00 A.M., the 2nd interval at 3:00 A.m. and the 3rd interval at 5:00 Am.
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