Too Early to Turn on Sprinklers

Every year, I see some people racing to fire up their sprinkler systems as soon as the calendar says it’s spring. In my opinion this is way too early. There are several reasons why sprinkler systems don't need to be be cranked up for several more weeks. Unless we're in severe drought, which is unlikely, May 1 or even later is a good target date.

First, the possibility for hard freezes still exists in late March and April. If you turn your system on and we get a hard freeze there is a good chance you will have burst pipes and possibly a ruined vacuum breaker. Needless to say, these can be expensive repairs. As one can see from this chart, single digit and teen lows are not unheard of in April :

www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/include/showProduct.php?product=aprn.txt&parentdir=cli

Second, April and May tend to be wet months. I think most people know this but in a dry winter it can be forgotten. During prolonged dry spells you can drag out a hose and portable sprinkler and water your lawn if you think it will help. Otherwise, why not rely on free rain and snow from Mother Nature? Lawns don't need nearly as much water in April as they do in June and July. I think most people know this too but still don't bother to adjust their timers to reflect it. The result? Wasted water galore...

Speaking of wasting water, we live in a semi-desert. We shouldn't be wasting water on lawns in July, let alone April.

Most people have Kentucky Bluegrass lawns. Believe it or not KBG is actually quite drought tolerant. It even has a built in defense mechanism. If the lawn is generally healthy and doesn't get enough water, it will turn straw colored and go dormant. But that doesn't mean it's dead. Just another example of the amazing wisdom of Mother Nature.

So relax and hold off on those sprinkler start-ups. But if it is really dry, do make sure that you are getting some supplemental water to your trees and shrubs, especially the younger ones and the evergreens.

Winter Watering

Once the cold weather hits, a lot of homeowners pack up their hoses and gardening stuff, stash it away, and go into hibernation mode for the winter. While I certainly understand that a break from yard chores is welcome, neglecting your plants in the winter can have not-so-good consequences down the road. So, while some people would rather have a root canal than drag out the hoses in January and February(ok, that's probably an exaggeration), this fall and early winter have shown once again that we live in a mostly warm and arid climate and that for the health of our plants, they need water in the winter. The recent snows notwithstanding, the ground is still quite dry in most places. In addition, the cold has frozen the ground in many places
as well. Still, chances are that temperatures will moderate and there will be opportunities to give our plants a drink. Here are some general guidelines for winter watering:

1. When possible, water on a sunny warmer day in the morning or early
afternoon when the temperature is 40 degrees or above and the ground is not frozen. The‘not frozen’ is important. Every winter is different, but typically in November and early December the ground will not be frozen solid. So watering your plants in these 2 months especially when dry and windy conditions are prevalent, is very important. Watering in late fall and early winter will serve your plants well even after the ground freezes.

2.If you can water once per month that is good. If it has been warm and dry twice per month is better. Be generous with the water. Trees: for every 1” in caliper(the diameter of the tree about 5’ off the ground) the tree should get 10 gallons. The easier way is to water a small tree 1-2 minutes and a medium tree 2-4 minutes. You want to soak the entire root zone when possible. For a typical 2-5’ shrub, water 1-2 minutes. For grasses and perennials, soak the rootzone. Evergreens require more water.

3. Mid to late Winter-if the ground is frozen, your watering efforts will not do much good as the water will probably just run off. A ‘ring of ice’ around the base of plants may be harmful. January and February thaws are usually the best chance to water.

4. Some parts of your yard may be frozen and other parts may not. This depends on sunlight, proximity to the home etc. If the ground isn’t frozen, go ahead and water.

5.Snowfall-light dry snow doesn’t have much water content, so don’t always assume that a few inches of snow will help. Most snow will not provide very much water.

6. Mulching-check your plants in winter to make sure they are properly mulched. If using a wood or bark type of mulch, the mulch should not be piled directly against the trunk of the tree or shrub. The rootball can be covered but the stems should not be.

7. Don’t forget to drain your hoses and disconnect them from the hose bib when finished.