Do you want to walk barefoot across cool, soft grass? Especially on those hot summer days? We’d love for you to do that! We also want you to take care of your lawn in a healthy way that saves the most water.
One might assume that proper lawn care begins in the spring
but creating that beautiful lawn can start at any time. Sometimes it’s even better
to start in the fall. Either way, you need to begin with good soil, full of
organic material that will both provide nutrition and help hold in that
moisture. But if you don’t already have that, how do you get it?
First, dethatch your lawnonce a year. Most lawns need this done when the layer of thatch reaches roughly ½” thick. Cool season grasses, such as bluegrass, need to be dethatched in the fall, whereas warm season grasses, such as Bermudagrass, need to be dethatched in the spring.
Aeratingis the second step needed to keep your lawn as healthy and water efficient as possible. If you have an older lawn, or have highly compacted soil, you should aerate twice a year -- once in the spring and again in the fall. If you are aerating, or hiring someone else to do it, run the irrigation first and flag all your spray heads or rotors. This prevents inadvertently creating the need for sprinkler repairs! Aerate the whole lawn one direction and then again perpendicular to the first pass.
Also, regularly sharpen the blades on your mower and set it up as a mulching mower. Your mowing height should be as high as possible to help maintain a healthy lawn and conserve water.
Watering correctly is most important, so maintain your irrigation system year-round, and follow the Water by the Seasons watering recommendations. Check all the filters on each of your spray heads or rotors, then run your system to ensure that all of your spray nozzles or rotors are aligned and aren’t clogged. Repair or replace anything that isn’t working properly. Also check the base of each spray head to make sure you don’t have a leak at the base. The ground will probably be soft and squishy if there is one. To improve efficiency of your system, choose high efficiency sprinkler nozzles (rebates of $2 are available).
One last thing. Kick those shoes off and go enjoy that lawn!
Author: Richard Perce, Irrigation Efficiency Specialist with the Water Resources Division for the Water Authority. Have a question about the article AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
A lot of things have changed since last spring, but at least one thing is the same: April 1 is still the date on which time-of-day watering rules go into effect for Water Authority customers in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. That means sprinkler and spray irrigation is not allowed between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. from now until Oct. 31 in order to minimize losses to wind and evaporation.
Using spray irrigation during the hottest, windiest part of
the day is not efficient. Instead, water in the early morning or in the evening
when it’s cooler. Another good way to avoid water waste is by troubleshooting
your irrigation system on a regular basis to identify leaks and make sure water
is directed properly to the plants. Follow these tips for a desert friendly
yard:
For turf, follow the Water by the Numbers program and adjust your watering schedule as the season changes: Two days per week in April and May, three days per week in the summer, and ramp down again in the fall.
Irrigate only when your plants need it, and water them deeply rather than too frequently. Use a long screwdriver or soil probe to check soil moisture.
Add compost to your soil to increase moisture retention and boost soil fertility.
Mulch around plants to help retain moisture and reduce weeds.
Grow strong and healthy trees by watering infrequently, to a depth of at least 24,” in a wide area around the tree’s canopy. Many of our trees only need deep watering 1 -2 times per month (depending on the species and conditions).
If you suspect
you have an indoor leak, or if you have questions about your landscape and
irrigation system, call our experienced staff for a free one-hour educational phone
consultation. To sign up, visit https://rebates.abcwua.org/ or call 505-842-9287 and press option 4.
Our staff will respond to your
request and schedule a one-hour call between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.
We will offer
two types of educational phone calls:
Indoor Leak Consultations consist of a full walk through, via telephone, on how to
identify and repair leaks. We aim to educate you on the most effective method
to check for leaks in your home. Topics include, but are not limited to:
How to read your meter
Identify and repair malfunctioning fixtures (tubs, faucets, toilets)
Identify and repair malfunctioning equipment (swamp coolers, water softeners, hot water heaters)
Finding underground leaks
Historical water use
Landscape and Irrigation
Consultations will answer many of your landscape and
irrigation questions. We will also be able to troubleshoot specific situations
and walk you through projects and offer advice and guidance where we can.
Topics include, but are not limited to:
Irrigation scheduling and start-up
Maintaining and repairing broken irrigation systems (it’s easier than you might think!)
Plant identification and basic plant suggestions
Planting and irrigating edible landscapes, including vegetable gardens
An early bloomer, this water thrifty plant is sure to provide you with large bright yellow flowers from spring through summer. Desert Mule’s Ear blossoms have a vanilla smell and are well adapted to sandy soil conditions. They are long-lived and can be a great addition to a dry flowerbed.
The Chanticleer Pear is a deciduous flowering tree that
produces profuse clusters of white flowers in early spring followed by small
round, hard, bitter fruits that can last into winter. Its shallow roots and
pyramidal form make it a great choice for a landscape with limited space. Other
advantages of the Chanticleer Pear are that it is favored by birds because of
its dense branch structure and that it provides food throughout the year for
birds, insects and bees.
