Applying the right amount of water to your landscape is essential.  You don’t want to leave your landscape thirsty, but over watering it can be just as detrimental.  Summer watering restrictions recently went into effect May 1.  Watering restrictions prohibit sprinkler watering between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.  Watering during the hottest part of the day isn’t effective because most of the water evaporates before your landscape can absorb it.

Under the summer water restrictions, you may water your lawn any day during the summer, but find out what works for your yard before you start watering daily.  Four or five days may be plenty, depending on the temperature that week.

Remember to use the cycle and soak method of watering. Set your irrigation clock to water in three cycles of four minutes.  For example, water once at 4 a.m., then again at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. when it’s cooler and there is less wind.  Watering in cycles allows each watering to soak into the soil before more water is applied.  Watering grass for a long period of time will produce run-off, which can cause property damage, wastes water and may result in a water-waste fee.

Set your lawn mower height to three inches.  Tall grass blades protect soil from heat and sun and also protect individual blades of grass.  If you find dry patches while mowing your lawn, check your irrigation system and sprinkler heads.  For best results, shoot for "head-to-head" coverage. That means the spray of one sprinkler should reach the head of the sprinkler closest to it.  Also, look for and fix any broken or misaligned sprinkler heads.  If trouble spots persist, give these areas extra care by hand watering.

Don’t forget to check your drip irrigation system.  Drip emitters should provide flow rates that match watering needs.  You also want to look for broken or missing emitters. These problems can be a hidden source of water waste. For more information on the drip system, log on to snwa.com.

Remember, we are now in day light-savings time.  If you haven’t already, be sure to set your irrigation clock to the right time for the season and change the back-up battery which will save your settings in the event of a power outage.

For more conservation tips and for tips on maintaining a healthy landscape, visit snwa.com.