Do It Yourself (DIY) | 505 Outside

Winterizing Your Irrigation System and Hose Faucets

by 505 Outside | Nov 3, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Home Page, Watering and Irrigation, Winter

Winter is the time to give your irrigation system a rest. The weather is unpredictable in the greater Albuquerque area. Unusually warm dry winters are possible along with wet cold winters, so watering and irrigation system use may fluctuate year to year.

The basic advice is that once temperatures are forecast to fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s time to get your irrigation system ready for winter. Freezing temperatures can damage irrigation systems. Follow the steps below to get your system ready for winter.

Shut down your automatic (below-ground) irrigation system.

Turn off the irrigation controller.

Turn the controller dial to OFF.
Keep your controller plugged in so it saves its programming information for next year.

Controller in the “off” position.

Locate your shut-off valve, which is often housed in a 3” PVC pipe with a white or yellow cap.

Turn it to the right to close, taking care not to overtighten.

Irrigation System with shut off valve (sometimes called isolation valve).

How to shut off your irrigation system for winter. (Click on image to watch video, it will pop up in Facebook, if you are not a FB user close or X out of the pop-up window to view the video)

Protect drip lines.

For drip irrigation systems, find the end cap of each drip hose and let the water drain out.
Pay extra attention to drip lines on the shady north side of your home, where freezing is more likely because the ground gets little winter sun and stays colder longer.

Drip system flush or end cap.

Keep your outdoor faucet/spigot (aka hose bib) from freezing.

If your irrigation system connects to an outdoor faucet/spigot (aka hose bib), disconnect it and cover it with an insulated outdoor faucet cover. All outdoor faucets/spigots should be covered.

Insulated outdoor faucet cover.

If you have a yard faucet, protect it from freezing with an insulated pipe cover and heat tape. This does not apply to frost free yard hydrants.

Yard faucet that should be covered and protected from freezing temperatures.

Frost free yard hydrant.

Get your plants ready for the winter season.

These simple tips will help your plants withstand the winter months and thrive next spring. The general advice is to mulch, leave your leaves, water properly, pay attention to the temperatures and precipitation, and do not cut back or prune yet.

Leave your leaves: Each autumn, leaves fall to the ground, sheltering the soil and beneficial organisms, returning organic matter to the soil and sustaining the nutrient cycle that healthy plants depend on. This year, consider tucking leaves around your plants instead of removing them. Letting leaves follow their natural life cycle provides you with all the benefits of mulch and doesn’t add waste to the landfill.

Add mulch: Adding or refreshing shredded wood chip mulch to about 4 inches thick around plants is recommended before winter. Mulch insulates plant roots from the cold, reducing moisture loss from the soil by evaporation, feeding beneficial soil microorganisms that enhance plant growth, and improving soil health while reducing weeds. This makes the soil more spongelike and better able to hold water. Be sure to keep mulch away from tree trunks.

Prep turf grass: Cut your lawn to 2-2.5 inches tall. Grass left too long through the winter can develop brown patches. Remove fallen leaves from the lawn. Leaves left over the winter can damage the grass and invite disease. Water according to our seasonal guidelines and adjust depending on weather conditions.

Water strategically during winter: Plants need to be watered in the winter in order to keep them healthy, especially trees. This means you need to de-winterize your system at least once a month or water with a hose. If your irrigation system connects to an outdoor faucet/spigot (aka hose bib), connect your hose system back up and water during the warmest part of the day typically midday. When watering is finished, disconnect the hose and put the insulated outdoor faucet cover back on.

If you have a drip system connected to an automatic irrigation system, turn your controller back on to water during the warmest part of the day, typically midday. This gives water time to soak in before temperatures drop at night. When shady areas need winter water, wait for a warm mild day. Once you’re done, you must re-winterize your irrigation system.

If you are concerned about turning on your irrigation system, then water everything manually with a hose. When watering by hand, remember to make sure your hose has a shut off valve or nozzle on the end. One hour of hose watering at a trickle is a good rule of thumb. For trees, learn to make a tree watering system

Trees need to be watered properly over the winter. Trees that get too dry during this time can suffer stress and drought injury. The damage often does not show up until the heat of the following summer, which then makes trees more susceptible to pests and disease. Track how much rain and snow your yard gets each month. Water trees once a month to 24” deep (December to February) to support winter hardiness. If we receive more than 1/2″ of rain or 6” of snow, you can skip your next watering cycle. To find out how deep you are watering, read more here.

Pay particular attention to conifers and other evergreen trees. Dry winter winds can strip moisture from trees quickly. It’s important that soil moisture is available to roots to help compensate for these losses. Outdoor water usage should be 80% lower than in summer.

Follow the Water by the Seasons recommendations below.

Ultimately, winterizing your irrigation system is the best way to protect it, your plants and your home from damage.

Learn More Here:

Irrigation Maintenance Checklist

The Balancing Act of Watering Trees in the Fall and Winter

Simple Fall Maintenance for Albuquerque Landscapes

Take the Guesswork Out of Programming an Irrigation Controller

Yes You Can Afford and Irrigation System

Tree Watering System

Irrigation Fundamentals Webinar

3 Steps to Landscape Success

Pruning with Confidence

Smart Irrigation Controllers

Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

Common Mistakes for Drip Irrigation Installations

by 505 Outside | Oct 7, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Watering and Irrigation, Watering Recommendations

In our hot, arid climate, drip irrigation efficiently waters trees, shrubs and other landscape plants by delivering the right amount directly to roots, promoting healthier plants and reducing waste. The drip systems greatest advantage is flexibility. It’s easy to install and modify a drip system as a landscape grows and changes. However, they can be incredibly wasteful if not installed and maintained correctly. Like many things, it’s easiest to learn from mistakes. We compiled the most common drip irrigation mistakes we see in our Albuquerque landscapes.

Mistake 1: Not installing a drip filter/pressure regulator combination.

Average water pressure in Albuquerque ranges from 45-80 PSI, but drip irrigation systems have been designed to operate best at 25 PSI. All drip systems should have a pressure regulator to reduce the pressure and a filter to screen dirt and debris from water. If you notice drip emitters are popping off or leaking, then the water pressure is too high. Install a drip filter/pressure regulator combination downstream of the valve, immediately after the backflow preventer or vacuum breaker. If your system has a pressure reducer but emitters keep popping out of the ¼-inch distribution tubing then the end of the tubing may have become stretched. If so, cut off a small section of the tubing and reinstall the emitter into the fresh tubing to create a more secure fit.

Mistake 2: Relying on the existing sprinkler heads and sprinkler lines for drip irrigation.

Don’t rely on the old piping when converting sprinklers to drip. Abandon all old PVC and galvanized lateral lines and install sprinkler irrigation directly downstream of the valve assembly and backflow preventer. You may have seen the spray-to-drip retrofit kits locally available and wonder if this is a good approach. We don’t recommend this approach because studies show that nearly half of the water saved from converting a lawn to a xeriscape comes from abandoning leaky underground piping and fittings. Install your drip directly downstream of the valve assembly. Click here to learn how..

Mistake 3: Not burying or covering drip irrigation tubing.

One of the best ways to extend the life of your drip system is to keep it out of direct sunlight and hidden from rodents. Although drip tubing is UV-resistant, prolonged exposure to the sun gradually breaks down the plastic, making it brittle causing it to weaken and leak over time. To protect from the elements, ½” and ¾” distribution tubing should be installed with landscape staples and buried in a 4-6” depth trench and cover with 3-4″ of mulch.

Polyline drip tubing buried underground.

Mistake 4: Going over instead of under retaining wall.

Avoid running drip tubing over the top of retaining walls (or landscape edging) whenever possible. A better option is to install a PVC sleeve beneath the wall before construction. Be sure to cover both ends of the sleeve with tape to prevent soil and debris from entering during construction. When you’re ready to install the irrigation system, simply feed the drip tubing through the sleeve. The sleeve protects the tubing from damage while also providing a convenient pathway for future repairs, replacements or system modifications.

Irrigation PVC sleeve under concrete.

Mistake 5: Runs of ¼-inch distribution line (often called spaghetti tubing) that are too long.

In a perfect world, these smaller tubing lengths wouldn’t exceed 2 or 3 feet between the larger lateral tubing (½-inch or ¾-inch size) and the base of the plant. Keeping ¼-inch distribution tubing short, pinned down with landscape staples, and covered effectively with mulch helps prevent pressure loss from long runs plus reduces the opportunity for physical damage from UV sunlight, rodents or dogs.

Mistake 6: Having unnecessary fittings.

Every fitting creates an opportunity for leaks, compared to a continuous run of tubing. Whenever possible, use a single uninterrupted length of tubing. For example, if the tubing can be gently bent around a corner without kinking, there is no need to install a 90-degree elbow fitting,

Lots of dripline connectors and long runs of ¼” distribution tubing – likely leading to damage and leaks.

Mistake 7: Not using enough landscape pins or staples.

Properly securing irrigation tubing with staples keeps it in place. Temperature fluctuations can cause the lines to expand and contract, which, over time, can allow the tubing to migrate to the surface, exposing it to sunlight and physical damage. Pin down the larger lateral supply line tubing and use at least one landscape pin on each ¼-inch tubing line to prevent the emitter from moving away from the plant’s root zone.

Mistake 8: Insufficient emitters for existing trees and plants.

This problem is most common when a lawn is converted to a xeriscape landscape with drip irrigation. Existing trees may have relied on sprinkler irrigation for many years, allowing their roots to spread throughout the lawn and often well beyond the edge of the canopy. When sprinklers are removed, homeowners or contractors sometimes replace the irrigation with just two or three emitters near the base of a mature tree. This does not provide enough water, and the water is not being applied where the majority of the feeder roots are located. This issue also occurs in newly installed landscapes when plants receive too few emitters; if the emitters are not repositioned, the problem continues as the plants mature. For newly installed landscapes use our Irrigation Guide page 28 to learn how many emitters should be installed per plant.

Newly installed tree watering system around a newly planted tree

Tree watering system around existing tree to accommodate watering of the root zone around the large existing tree.

Mistake 9: Not separating trees and perennials into different irrigation zones.

We often find that customers have their low water use plants and medium water use trees on a single drip irrigation zone. One of the best irrigation practices – called ‘hydrozoning’ is to place trees and desert-friendly plants on separate watering zones. This allows each plant grouped by water need type to receive water according to its specific needs. Established trees typically benefit from deep, infrequent watering once or twice per month, while smaller plants generally require more frequent watering, often two to three times per week during the growing season. Separating these plants into different zones improves water efficiency, promotes healthier root systems and helps prevent both overwatering and underwatering. Occasionally, we come across a single irrigation zone or valve that contains both sprinklers for grass and drip irrigation for plants — this should always be avoided because it results in overwatered plants or underwatered grass.

Mistake 10: Not keeping emitters visible.

When walking through your newly installed landscape, you should be able to see the drip emitters positioned 2 to 3 inches above the mulch or gravel. (Emitters should also be placed on the uphill side of the plant.) Keeping emitters visible during the establishment period makes it much easier to verify that they are working properly and delivering water where it is needed. While they may not be the most attractive feature at first, the emitters will become less noticeable as plants grow and fill in. In a mature landscape, however, they can become hidden by plant growth and groundcover. In this case, the overall appearance and health of the plants provides clues if an irrigation problem exists. When you do need to locate an emitter, try listening when the drip zone first turns on. The sound of water flowing through the emitter can often help you pinpoint its location.

Emitter next to shrub.

Mistake 11: Using specialty parts that aren’t readily available at most irrigation or hardware stores.

When designing and installing your drip irrigation system, it’s best to use common, readily available parts. Choosing specialized components that are difficult to find or incompatible with standard fittings can lead to frustration, delays in repairs and resulting plant stress when repairs or replacements are needed in the future. We recommend purchasing supplies from irrigation specialty stores, as they offer higher-quality products, stock the same parts from the same manufacturers, and have experts available that can answer your questions. Be selective in the parts you purchase and keep a stash of extra parts in your toolbox so you can make a quick repair and avoid wasted water or stressed plants.

Learn More Here:

Irrigation Efficiency Guide

Irrigation 101 Video Tutorials

Take the Guesswork Out of Programming an Irrigation Controller

Yes You Can Afford and Irrigation System

Tree Watering System

Author: Carl Christensen, Xeriscape Inspector. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

The Dos and Don’ts of Autumn Landscape Maintenance

by 505 Outside | Oct 5, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Watering and Irrigation

Autumn brings many changes to our landscapes and gardens. Certainly, we are enjoying the cooler temperatures and changing light. It is more inviting to spend time outside, and we may find ourselves more inclined to do some of that yardwork that was unbearable in the heat of the summer.

But what is necessary work in the fall garden? Some of us have a tidy streak and find ourselves compelled to rake up the leaves as soon as they begin to fall or cut back the flowers and grasses that mere weeks ago swayed in the breeze and lured in the pollinators. Hold your horses. Your sense of neatness, or perhaps the need to control or tame the wildness going dormant before you, may not be what is best for the garden.

You may have heard the phrase “Leave the leaves.” Increasingly, we are understanding the benefits of letting the fallen autumn leaves lie and, along with that, holding back on some of the pruning, deadheading and raking that may have been your fall garden ritual. There are good reasons to let your landscape and garden remain a bit messy, and science can help you understand why.

Leaves store nutrients for the plant they are attached to throughout the growing season, releasing them into the vascular system as the plant requires. When autumn arrives and leaves fall to the ground, these stored nutrients are slowly released back into the soil, even as the decaying foliage enriches the ground beneath it, adding to the organic profile of the earth and creating systems for all the beneficial microorganisms to flourish. Healthy bacteria, fungi and mycorrhizae thrive in the soil beneath a mulch of decaying organic matter, and the blanketed soil also holds moisture, insulates the soil and reduces the need for supplemental irrigation.

There are also many wildlife benefits to leaving a bit of messiness in the garden over the winter, especially for creatures that may be searching for natural food or nice hiding places to overwinter in, protected from the elements. In addition, there are ornamental benefits. For example, a native grass meadow can take on subtle color shifts, from greys to golds to russet tones, especially if graced with winter precipitation.

If we are fortunate enough to have precipitation in any form, the organic material left in the garden can act as a sort of sponge, soaking up moisture and slowly releasing it into the soil.

For a maintained appearance, rake the leaves and pine needles from patios and walkways if you wish, but let them accumulate and remain as free mulch in your flower beds, under trees and shrubs, on top of organic mulch such as bark or shredded wood, and on the soil surface between grasses in your meadows. You can add any excess to your compost pile if you have it. The exception would be if you had an issue with a fungus, such as powdery mildew. You should dispose of those leaves. If you have gravel or crusher fine mulch, you may want to rake the debris from those surfaces and recycle in appropriate areas of the garden or landscape.

If you have native and ornamental grasses, wait until spring to cut them back. Aesthetically, our plants go through a fall transition fading from red into russet browns and greys. This change signals the changing of the seasons, helping us align with Mother Nature. Erect stems and plump leaves will fade and crumble, setting up a beautiful contrast to the bright green growth of early spring and the tidy appearance after your spring clean-up and cut-back. The faded growth adds visual winter interest to the landscape, seeds for birds and protection for overwintering insects (even butterflies) as well as helping to hold soil moisture. The same goes for perennial flowers, like coneflower, penstemon, gayfeather and bee balm. These plants provide natural winter sustenance for birds and other wildlife and protect the sensitive crown of the plant from potential damage from freezing winter temperatures.

Ornamental Grasses in Fall, Photo by Wes Brittenham

As for fall pruning of shrubs, there are several reasons to hold off on using your hedge trimmers and hand pruners there, too. One reason is that the spent flowers and seed heads on some shrubs such as blue mist spirea or chamisa also provide visual winter interest and food for birds. Some common landscape plants — like autumn sage, Texas sage and lavender as well as herbs like garden sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano — benefit from being left alone in the fall. The older outside growth acts as insulation to the more tender interior of the plant, protecting it from freezing temperatures. If you cut these back in the fall, you may find that winter damage has killed back much of the plant come spring.

There is something peaceful and restorative when looking at a winter landscape. You feel the earth resting after a season of heat and growth, the stored energy in slumber and silence, waiting for the shift in seasons to spring forth in renewal.

Rest with your garden. Let the quiet, meditative nature of the dormant period reset your own seasonal clock. Enjoy the cooler autumn days and the changing of the color, texture and mood of the landscape. Feel the gentle ebb of the need to do something and allow yourself to just sit with the slow season. You deserve a rest, too.

Photo by Wes Brittenham

Learn More Here:

Ornamental Grasses and How and When to Use Them

Plants for Fall Color

Great Natural Areas to Visit this Fall for Respite and Inspiration

Author: Wes Brittenham, artist, gardener and writer. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

Walk the Line: A mid-summer check of your irrigation system

by 505 Outside | Jul 31, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Maintenance, Summer, Water Conservation, Watering and Irrigation, Xeriscape

Up to 50% of outdoor water use is wasted due to lack of service. In just 15 minutes, a broken sprinkler could waste about 225 gallons of water. To put that in perspective, that’s more than the daily water needs for 3 Albuquerque homes.

If that broken sprinkler is set to run in the middle of the night, it could easily go a full week unnoticed, which would end up wasting 1575 gallons of water. That’s as much water as most Albuquerque residents use over an entire month during the winter. What if your leak goes unnoticed until you receive your next water bill? There goes 6300 gallons. If you’re like many of our customers and don’t pay much attention to your water bill due to auto payments, that broken sprinkler could run for an entire irrigation season unnoticed, wasting over 50,000 gallons of water. This one broken sprinkler can waste more water than what it takes to supply a home for a year. Consider the amount of water wasted citywide by that broken sprinkler along with all the other broken sprinklers, leaky pipes, and poorly programmed systems, and you can understand why it’s important for all of us to promptly address water waste issues in our landscapes.

Make the time to “walk the line”. While your system is running, walk the perimeter of your property and check your system. Do this a minimum of once a month for sprinkler systems. If you have a drip system, check it more often as they’re more susceptible to damage. If your system is over 20 years keep an eye on it as components are going to fail more frequently on older systems.

When you walk the line, it’s important to use all your senses, not just your eyes. Pay attention to the feel of the surface you’re walking on. If you feel a squishy spot below your feet, you probably have a subsurface leak. Also, listen, your brain is remarkably good at picking out sounds that are out of place, and can lead you to a leak.

Monthly Walk the Line Checks:

Leaks:

Sprinkler System Leaks: Quickly catching leaks will save plants and money. A broken sprinkler head is easy to identify. Less easy to see and often overlooked is a cracked pop-up spray nozzle (see photo). It’s important to know how your sprinklers look when they’re distributing water as intended, so if one starts spraying water differently from the rest, notice it and inspect it more.

Leaks from sprinkler head and cracked nozzle.

The good news is that replacing sprinkler heads and nozzles is easy. All you have to do is unscrew the old one to remove it and then screw in the new one. Just remember to replace them with the exact same brand part and model. Putting in the wrong part can result in distributing the wrong amount of water on your turf. This will cause brown spots either from your grass dying because it’s not getting enough water or from fungus because it’s getting too much. Unfortunately, most homeowners’ responses to brown spots is to apply more water. But remember, symptoms of over and under watering can look similar.

Make your life easy and keep the correct spare parts for your system on hand. If you’re uncertain, consider taking what you have to your local irrigation supply store for help with finding the right match.

When you purchase your new sprinkler parts, ask about high efficiency nozzles and pressure regulating spray bodies to upgrade your system. We offer Irrigation Efficiency Rebates for this equipment. However, do not mix and match traditional spray sprinklers with newer high efficiency options, they do not deliver water at the same rate. So, if you replace one sprinkler with an upgrade, you need to also upgrade at least the rest of the sprinklers in that zone and then make sure you adjust your sprinkler run time for the new rate at which water is applied with efficient nozzles.

Drip System Leaks:

If you have a drip system we recommend that you walk the line more often. Drip systems are easy to install and maintain, but they’re also easily damaged. One of the more common problems we see is cracked or punctured polyline tubing.

This is an inexpensive and easy fix. A small hole can be patched by inserting a “goof plug”. And a larger hole or crack can be repaired with a repair coupling, just make a clean cut and connect the two pieces with the correct size coupling. It’s a good idea to always keep goof plugs and the right sized couplings on hand if you have a drip system. A tackle box can be useful for all the parts. After the repair, run the system and observe the zone running to make sure the repair was successful and that you don't have other leaks.

Another common issue with drip systems is missing emitters. This is also an easy and inexpensive fix. You just need to pop on a new emitter with a replacement that delivers water at the same rate as the old one.

If you are frequently loosing emitters it's highly likely that the pressure in your drip zone needs to be reduced. Each drip valve should have a pressure reducer installed to match the pressure the parts were designed for (15-30psi). If yours doesn’t, consider installing one ASAP. Hold on to your receipt so you can apply for our irrigation efficiency rebate for pressure reduction within 90 days of the purchase or service.

Valve Assembly Leaks:

The picture of the left shows a valve box filled with water due to valve assembly leaks and the picture on the right shows a backflow preventer leaking due to an old or broken washer.

When you’re walking the line turn on the system then start at the valve assembly. This is where the whole irrigation system begins. It includes a valve (which is usually inside a valve box under a green or brown plastic cover) and a backflow preventer. The valve opens to turn on the water supply to the irrigation system and you should not see water in the valve box. Leaks often start gradually and they may not be immediately obvious so it’s a good idea to open the lid and look for water in the valve box when you’re doing your monthly system inspection. The valve assembly needs to include a backflow preventor. The backflow preventer is what prevents contaminated water from your landscape from siphoning back into your home’s water supply.

Valve box and backflow preventers.

If you are uncertain of whether or not you have a backflow preventer or you can’t locate your valves, you can always reach out to us through our “Ask an Expert” email us at [email protected]

Other Water Leak Clues:

Even when your system isn’t running, there are clues you can look out for that can alert you to leaks and broken sprinklers. If you see ponds in your turf or in the street in front of your house, you might have leak. Other clues to look out for are things like algae growing on the sidewalk, or popped off sprinkler heads lying in the grass.

Another great visible leak clue is sediment flow. When water flows, it moves soil with it. So, if you see sediment around a sprinkler head like in the picture at right, or flowing across the sidewalk like in the top center, it’s a good sign that there is a leak below the surface.

Finally, one of the best clues you have is your water bill. If you notice an unusual jump in your bill, it’s a good idea to check your irrigation system for leaks. There is also a free online water use tracking tool we offer called HomeConnect, which allows users to view nearly real time data on their water use. With HomeConnect, you can view your water use down to the hour which allows you to familiarize yourself with your daily water use patterns so you can catch abnormal usage before it drives up your water bill. Set your water use thresholds so you can get alerts via email or text if your use goes above a set limit, this can also help avoid property damage at a rental or if you’re out of town.

Sprinkler Aim: Check for Efficient Alignment, Proper Throw, Consistency

When you’re walking the line on your sprinkler system, check that your heads are spraying water onto the grass not pavement or other areas that don't need water. If you see overspray, you can usually fix it pretty easily by adjusting the throw radius. How you do this will depend on the type and brand of sprinkler you have. Some sprinkler nozzles require a special adjustment tool, so if you need one, make sure you have it handy when you walk the line.

Now with some grass it’s impossible to avoid overspray, like narrow strips next to pavement like you see here. These are fantastic opportunities for a Desert Friendly Xeriscape Conversion. This rebate gives customers $3 per square foot for transforming their unwanted or inefficient grass to a healthier xeriscape that contains plants, trees, mulch and drip irrigation.

Another important aspect of checking your aim is looking for overflow. If you see water seeping off the grass, that tells you that the water isn’t soaking into the soil anymore, and no more water should be applied. This can usually be fixed by cutting back the time on your irrigation controller. Now if your grass needs more water than what can be applied before it starts running off, you can program your controller to a “cycle and soak” pattern. To determine the run times run your sprinklers until you see water is about to overflow. Then turn the sprinklers off, let it soak in for about half an hour, and run it again to meet your turf irrigation requirements. This is an excellent practice to help your grass develop a healthy and more drought tolerant root system, and it ensures that all of the water you’re paying for is benefiting your grass instead of being wasted in the street (which can result in a fine). Report Water Waste

Another solution for overflow is to replace all your spray nozzles with high efficiency rotating sprinkler nozzles, which we offer a rebate for. These nozzles apply water at a slower rate than traditional nozzles, giving water time to infiltrate to the root zone.

You should also make sure your sprinklers haven’t sunk or tilted. Take a close look and make sure that the outer radius of your sprinkler is throwing to the head of its neighbor what we call head to head coverage. And make sure that all the sprinkler throw patterns look consistent. The even distribution of water on your turf will help you avoid brown spots and uneven growth.

It’s very difficult to grow turf on a hill, the top can receive 2x as much water as the bottom. High efficiency nozzles and cycle and soak can help but, you’ve got another excellent candidate for a Desert Friendly Xeriscape Conversion rebate.

Clogs:

Automatic valves, drip emitter, end cap, basket filter.

Clogs in the system can be another cause of water waste. When sediment and debris collect in your system, water doesn’t get to the plants. And what do we tend to do when we see the plants struggle? Turn up the run times. That’s not going to help your plants.

If you have a drip system, before you turn it on for your monthly check, take one minute and open the valve box cover, unscrew the filter, which you can see in the picture up top, and clear out any debris you find. If you don’t see a filter, it's a good idea to get one installed. Once you turn the system on, inspect your emitters to make sure water is flowing as it should and clear any clogs that you identify. On the green-topped emitter pictured on the bottom left, this is easily done by rotating the flag and removing it from the main body of the emitter, place your finger over the hole to flush it (if the system is running) and replace the flag. Other types of emitters need to be replaced if clogged. It’s also a good idea to flush your line during your monthly check, which is done by removing the end cap while the system is running. If you don’t have an end cap, they are super easy to install and we recommend installing one to make maintenance easier.

To identify clogs in a sprinkler system, look for sputtering sprinklers. If you look closer and don’t see a cracked nozzle, you probably have a clogged filter basket. To fix this, simply turn off the system, unscrew the nozzle, pull out the basket filter and wash out the debris.

Controller:

Controller

Our monthly service tip is to click through your controller settings on your timer. With this you’re looking out for a couple of things.

First, make sure that your settings haven’t unexpectedly changed as power surges and weather events can disrupt your controller's programming. If you’ve installed a fresh backup battery at the start of the season, which we recommend, you shouldn’t have to worry about a power failure wiping out your programming.

Another issue we come across is mystery programming. Controller programming is often not intuitive and sometimes well-intentioned people accidentally program a system to run the same zone multiple times, which ends up wasting water. If you have questions about programming your controller, email [email protected].

Most importantly, check that your controller is set appropriately for the season. You should not be watering the same in October as you were in June. If you need guidance on watering schedules, check out our Water by the Season charts.

Now if making regular adjustments isn’t something you’d realistically do, you can purchase a Smart Controller which will figure it all out for you. These are wifi enabled devices that will calculate how much water your landscape needs based on local weather conditions and make the necessary adjustments for you. We've calculated that if everybody in our service area adjusted their sprinklers for the seasons we would easily meet our water conservation goals. We’ll give you 25% off up to $100 rebate back on your water bill for installing one.

Check out our Irrigation Efficiency Guide.

Best Practices and Common Mistakes:

A quick note about your mid-summer check. Make sure you’re adjusting for plant growth. If you have a drip system, move your emitters to the edge of the plant’s root ball, or drip line. You want to avoid the situation where the emitter is placing water directly onto the trunk of established trees and plants.

With sprinkler systems, maintain the vegetation so it doesn’t interfere with the streams of water. Trim back plants for sprinkler clearance. And when it comes to grass height if the grass is too tall it will block the sprinkler. If it’s too low, your grass doesn't shade its roots and can dry out quickly making it susceptible to drought stress. Aim for grass height between 3-4” Check vegetation around irrigation.

If you suspect you’ve got a problem with your irrigation system and you’d like help troubleshooting it, you can always contact us through “AskanExpert” and we can walk you through it or even come out to your property for an irrigation consultation. We want to help you save water and have a healthy landscape, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Learn More Here:

Irrigation 101 Tutorials

Improving Irrigation Efficiency Can Be Affordable

Drip Irrigation Maintenance Checklist

3 Steps to Landscape Success Webinar

Irrigation Efficiency Guide

Residential Irrigation Rebates Page

Have a question about the article? Email us at [email protected]

Desert Dessert Recipes From Your Garden

by 505 Outside | Jul 31, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Edibles

Summer evenings in Albuquerque often end outdoors with a refreshing drink and dessert. We’ve partnered with Edible New Mexico magazine to bring you a selection of lovely recipes made from two fruit trees commonly grown in Albuquerque.

Apple and Pomegranate trees grow well in our area. In fact, a 1926 survey by the New Mexico Manzano Forest Reserve identified an apple tree that is believed to have been planted prior to 1676, which makes New Mexico home to the oldest apple orchard in the United States. Apple production in the state peaked in the 1960s, in the heydey of the Red Delicious variety.

Pomegranate trees are native to the region that stretches from present-day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. Through the millennia, they were cultivated to grow in warmer regions of the Mediterranean. Therefore, it makes sense that they perform well in New Mexico. In Albuquerque, Pomegranates benefit from a protected, south-facing location to improve winter survival.

Harvesting time for both of these fruit trees are late summer and fall. Apples are ripe for picking in late August followed by Pomegranates starting in October. Below are some drink and dessert recipes for you to enjoy when these fruits are at their finest this season.

DRINKS

Pomegranate and Balsamic Shrub

Makes 1 pint

Level: Easy; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes; Cooling time and steeping time: A day-1 week.

Shrubs are one of the easiest nonalcoholic cocktail bases to make. They are just fruit, sugar and vinegar in equal parts. They’re endlessly adaptable and a great way to preserve seasonal produce. This version pairs pomegranate with a touch of balsamic for depth and complexity.

Pomegranate and Balsamic Shrub

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils (seeds)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Instructions

In a medium, nonreactive bowl, combine pomegranate arils and sugar; mix until the sugar coats all the fruit. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
Mash fruit with a wooden spoon to break it up.
Let sit for another hour and stir again. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Add in vinegar, stir, and let sit, covered, for 1 week at room temperature, making sure to stir the mixture every day. After a week, strain the fruit by pouring through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate shrub syrups. Tightly sealed, they can last for up to 6 months. If opened often, they last 3-6 weeks: taste syrup before using to make sure the flavor is good. Discard immediately if it has mold or any signs of continued fermentation, such as bubbling, cloudiness or sliminess.

For mocktail: Combine 1 1/2 ounces of a shrub with 4 ounces of soda water in a glass with ice.

Apple and Formosa Oolong and Mocktail

Makes 1 cup of syrup

Level: Easy; Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 25 minutes; Total time: 40 minutes, plus cooling time

This recipe makes use of the inevitable apple waste from making pies, or any other apple recipe for that matter. Simply toss cores in a bag and freeze until ready to use. There is no need to worry about the seeds; cooking the cores eliminates the arsenic toxins.

Formosa oolong is semi-oxidized and falls somewhere between green and black tea. It is an excellent brew for mocktails. Double the sugar in this recipe, and you will have a syrup thick enough for your pancakes and waffles.

Apple and Formosa Oolong Syrup and Mocktail

Ingredients

Apple oolong syrup (makes 1 cup)

6 assorted apple cores (8 ounces)
5 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 teaspoons Formosa oolong tea leaves
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar

Mocktail (serves 1)

3/4 ounce lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces apple oolong syrup
3 ounces sparkling water
1 thyme sprig, for garnish

Instructions

Syrup

Put apple cores, cardamom pods, tea leaves, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then continue to boil uncovered, until the liquid reduces by half, about 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the softened apple cores with a wooden spoon to release additional liquid.
Pour 1 cup of apple liquid into the saucepan. Add sugar and return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and the liquid gets slightly thicker but still quite pourable, about 5 minutes. Cool and strain into a bottle for storing. Keeps in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Mocktail

Pour lemon juice and syrup into a shaker and shake. Then pour evenly into a rocks glass with ice. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

DESSERTS

Pomegranate Upside-Down Blue Corn Bread

Serves 8

Level: Easy; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting time

This pomegranate upside-down bread is a bit seedy but if you love this fruit, you’re used to that. Butterfly pea flowers take the blue corn bread mix to another level of the cerulean hue. The contrast between the bright red fruit topping and the blue bottom of the corn bread is stunning. Swap in any seasonal fruit for your upside-down top and serve with a light weeknight dinner of calabacitas or alongside other colorful fare on a holiday table.

Pomegranate Upside-Down Blue Corn Bread

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups pomegranate arils (seeds)
3 cups blue corn bread mix
2 teaspoons butterfly pea flower powder
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (or whatever temperature is recommended for your corn bread mix)
In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and swirl butter to coat the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then spread pomegranate seeds evenly on top of the sugar. Set aide.
Combine blue corn bread mix, butterfly pea powder, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Spoon corn bread batter over fruit and spread it evenly from edge to edge. Bake for 35 minutes (or whatever time is recommended for your corn bread mix) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool for a few minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the corn bread and place a large plate or platter upside down over the cake pan. Using pot holders to hold the pan to the plate. Flip the plate over and lift off the pan, so the bread comes out upside down on the plate.

Notes

If you want to make this recipe without a prepackaged mix, follow your favorite corn bread recipe using blue cornmeal and adding 2 teaspoons butterfly pea flower powder to the dry ingredients. Follow step 2 for the pomegranate topping.

Apples Bonne Femme

Serves 6, Level and prep time

This recipe was first appearing in Auguste Escoffier’s Le Guide Culinaire, pommes bonne femme showcases the apple with the simplest of French methods. This version is adapted from Jacques Pépin’s recipe in Essential Pépin. Choose apples that can hold up during baking; dense, thicker-skinned varieties such as Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious work well.

Apples Bonne Femme

Ingredients

6 large apples (2 pounds)
1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
1/2 cup light maple syrup
6 teaspoons unsalted butter
6 teaspoons light brown sugar
6 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)
6 1 inch-thick slices dry (day old) baquette
Cinnamon or nutmeg
Mint, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Rinse and dry apples.
Core apples, taking care to remove all pith and seeds. Cut about 1/4 inch off the bottom of each apple so it can stand upright on the baguette silce while cooking.
Score apples about one-third of the way down, cutting through skin (no more than 1/4 inch deep) and drawing the incision all the way around. As the apples cook, the flesh will explode and the part above this cut will rise, almost like the cap of a mushroom.
Arrange baguette slices in a gratin dish or baking dish that can second as a tabletop serving dish. Place an apple on top of each baguette slice.
Place one teaspoon butter and one teaspoon brown sugar in the cored hole of each apple. Mix together apricot jam and maple syrup and pour into cored hole, allowing mixture to spill over and coat the apples. Sprinkler one tablespoon chopped nuts and a pinch of cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg over each apple.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Baste apples and cook for another 30 minutes.
Spoon some of the juice from the baking dish over the apples and let cool to lukewarm before serving. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Serve as is, or celebrate your apple creation by adding whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream.

Learn More Here:

Fruit Tree for the Homeowner

Subtropical Fruit Trees for the High Desert: Pomegranates and Figs

How Much Water to Provide to Fruit and Vegetables to Get a Significant Yield

Tree Irrigation Webinar

505Outside.com in coordination with Edible New Mexico magazine https://www.ediblenm.com/. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

Keeping Cool This Summer While Saving Water

by 505 Outside | Jul 2, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Maintenance, Outdoor Living, Summer, Water Conservation

Over 40% of Albuquerque homeowners use evaporative coolers, while the rest use some type of refrigerated air system. Today’s evaporative coolers (also known as swamp coolers) provide a practical, energy-efficient way to cool air in the low humidity climates found throughout New Mexico. Evaporative cooling isn’t a new concept. In fact, it’s the oldest known method of cooling hot, summer air to make living spaces more comfortable. Ancient Egyptians hung wet material so the wind could blow through it to create a cooling effect. In an evaporative cooler, warm air is cooled as it passes through porous pads that are kept moist by water dripping on their upper edges. A blower wheel pulls outside air through the wet pad, and the cool, humidified air is then circulated through the house. In the process of cooling the air, evaporative coolers provide an additional benefit of removing dust and pollen that can cause allergies and asthma attacks.

Evaporative coolers are very effective, particularly when the relative humidity (the moisture content of the air) is low. An evaporative cooler works best during the hottest time of the day, because relative humidity drops quickly as temperature increases. Studies show that a typical evaporative cooler uses only about one-third the energy of a refrigerated air conditioner,

The big question is how much water do swamp coolers use? Water requirements for an evaporative cooler will vary with the size of the house, its orientation toward the sun, window area, type of landscaping, proximity to hard surfaces and other structures, temperature preferences of the occupants, local climate, how many hours the cooler runs, and water quality.

In an average weather year, a 1,500-square-foot home in Albuquerque might use 7,250 gallons (based on the evaporative cooler running 1,130 hours). In an unusually warm year, these water requirements would be significantly higher. Virtually all models of evaporative coolers now available recirculate the water that drips from the pads, resulting in an efficient use of water. (Older, less water-efficient evaporative coolers might not have a pan to catch and recirculate water. If so, excess water shall be directed to plant material. Or replace the old cooler with a recirculating one.)

Some coolers have a “bleed-off valve” to drain a portion of the recirculating water to prevent excessive mineral buildup on the porous pads. Bleed-off water can increase overall evaporative cooler water use by 50% or more, which could increase total evaporative cooler water use to 11,000 gallons in Albuquerque. A more water efficient alternative to continual bleed-off is a “dump pump,” which empties the cooler pan at regular intervals to reduce mineral buildup.

Waterwise Tips for Evaporative Coolers

Instead of turning on your cooler when it’s 79 degrees outside, wait until it is 85 degrees. Your cooler will use 50% less water.
Turn on the water pump a few minutes before turning on the fan to give the cooler pads a chance to become saturated.
Open a window 1-2 inches in the rooms you want to cool. This will draw cool air into the rooms and give warm air a chance to escape.
In the evenings or when it’s not quite so hot outside, run your cooler fan without running the water pump. You’ll get nice, cooling airflow without using any water at all!
Also run just the fan on rainy and high humidity days when your evaporative cooler is significantly less efficient.
To keep your cooler from wasting water, check it for leaks monthly during the summer season. Take a look at its filters, pads, pump and reservoir. Replace your cooler pads at least once every summer, preferably twice — or aim to clean them with soap and water.
Install a digital thermostat. Digital thermostats allow you to use much less water than you would otherwise because once your home gets to your desired temperature, it will automatically shut off.

Additional tips to keep your home cool, harvest water and reduce energy use

Direct any water from a refrigerated air conditioner or mini split condenser toward plants.
Servicing your refrigerated air conditioner by performing general maintenance such as replacing or cleaning air filters can lower energy consumption by up to 15%. Add a calendar reminder for the first day of spring to check your air conditioner’s evaporator coil. This should be cleaned annually to ensure the system is performing optimally.
Cooling your home with ceiling fans will allow you to comfortably raise your thermostat about 4 degrees. In the summer, fans should turn counterclockwise so air pushes downward, circulating the cooler air in the room and making the home feel cooler. Make sure to turn off ceiling fans when house is empty.
Window treatments or coverings such as blinds, shades and films can help reduce the heat when temperatures rise. Close blinds and curtains on the East, West and South sides when nobody is home to keep the sun from heating up the house.
Air loss through ducts can lead to high energy costs, accounting for nearly 30% of a cooling system’s energy consumption. By sealing and insulating your ducts, you can lower your energy bills.
Avoid using heat-producing appliances like clothes dryers, dishwashers, stoves and ovens during the hottest part of the day. Use your grill for cooking and hang dry your clothes.

Learn more by checking out these other useful articles:

PNM Evaporative Cooling Rebates

Designing Shade the Right Way

The Benefit of Trees

City of Albuquerque Energy Efficiency Programs

Information courtesy of the Water Use and Conservation Bureau, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. Additional tips courtesy of PNM. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

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