by 505 Outside | Dec 12, 2018 | Blog, Maintenance, Winter
Icy sidewalks and streets pose a serious danger to the safety of those who use them. Water Authority customers are subject to fines when water causes ice formation on adjacent property, or the public right-of-way, including sidewalks or other impervious surfaces.
Ice violations issued by the Water Authority can range from $20 for a first violation and up to $2,000 for multiple violations. These violations generally occur as a result of irrigation overflow, overspray, and/or malfunctions. If you choose to use your automatic irrigation system during the winter months, please check for the following to avoid ice formation:
This generally happens on sloped areas and can be fixed by installing a sprinkler head with a built-in check valve. Many major brands of heads can be retrofitted with a check valve.
A misaligned sprinkler may cause water to flow into the public right of way. Turn on your irrigation system to check each sprinkler head’s angle and the distance it sprays. Make sure your water use is beneficial to your landscape and not wasted.
Cut back your watering time. If your landscape needs more water than what is applied before overflow occurs, practice the cycle and soak method. Break up the total watering time in order to allow water to soak in better. For example, instead of running your system one time for 10 minutes in the winter, try running it two times for 5 minutes each with an hour or more between cycles. This allows time in between for the grass to soak up the water.
Visually inspect all the components of your irrigation system and repair any issues that may be causing a problem.
Watering too early or too late can both cause the formation of ice. Mid-day is the best time to apply landscape irrigation in the winter so that water will have time to evaporate before freezing.
Ultimately, winterizing your irrigation system for the winter is the best way to avoid ice violations. Click here to learn how to winterize your system. We are happy to assist you with your landscape water needs or to answer your scheduling questions. Call 505.289.3003 to schedule an Outdoor Irrigation Efficiency Consultation today!
For further information, view our current Water Waste Ordinance.
by 505 Outside | Nov 9, 2018 | Blog, Maintenance, Waterwise Tips, Winter
November is the time to prepare your landscape for winter. By following the simple recommendations outlined below, you can get your yard ready to endure the coming winter months so it can flourish next spring.
How do I prepare my plants for the winter season?
Turf grass:
- Mow your lawn to a height of 1-2 inches. Grass left too long over the winter can develop brown patches.
- Aerate the ground before it freezes. Aerating involves penetrating the lawn with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to reach the roots over winter. Power aerators are available to rent at your local home and garden center, or you can try a strap-on shoe aerator.
- Remove fallen leaves from the lawn. These may cause damage to the grass if left over the winter.
All other plants:
- Add mulch to existing plants. Mulch helps retain moisture and keeps the soil a more consistent temperature in the winter. When mulching trees, be sure to leave space around the trunk.
Do I need to water my plants in the winter?
Yes! In our area we recommend you continue to water your plants over the winter. But you won’t need to water as often. During the winter, soil retains water for longer periods because of the colder nights and shorter days.
You’ll want to pay attention to how much rain and snow you get in your yard each month. If it has rained more than ½ inch (or snowed more than 6 inches) in the last 4 weeks, then no need to water. If we are having a dry winter (less than ½ inch of precipitation in a month), then your yard is thirsty! Give it a drink.
When watering during the winter, we recommend you water during the warmest part of the day. Below is a chart with watering recommendations.
How much do I water my plants during the winter?
| Plant Type |
How often? |
How deep? |
| Trees |
1 time a month |
24 inches |
| Shrubs |
1 time a month |
18 inches |
| Flowering plants |
1 time a month |
12 inches |
| Desert accents |
none |
none |
| Groundcover |
1 time a month |
12 inches |
| Grass: turf |
2 times a month |
6 inches |
| Grass: ornamental |
1 time a month |
12 inches |
| Vines |
1 time a month |
18 inches |
How do I know how deeply I’m watering my plants?
Testing soil moisture with a long screwdriver.
Use a soil probe or a long screwdriver to test soil moisture. Push the screwdriver into the soil about an hour after you’ve watered your plants. It will go easily into moist soil. Mark and measure how far it went into the ground. That will tell you how deep you have watered that plant. Every yard is different, but once you figure out how long it takes your watering system to water to certain depths, you’ll be set.
Winterize your irrigation system
In a climate where winter temperatures can get below freezing, it may be advisable to “winterize” your irrigation system in order to avoid damage. If water is left in pipes, valves and sprinkler heads during freezing temperatures, that water may expand. You can imagine the results.
The steps you should take to prepare your irrigation system for winter depend on a lot of factors, but the overall goals for winterizing are the same for most systems:
Shut-off valve with sprinkler valve key.
- Shut off the water supply to your irrigation system
- Locate your shut-off valve (often hidden in a 3” PVC pipe; sometimes this pipe has a white or yellow cap on it as shown in the photo) and turn it to the right to shut it off
Controller set to the “off”position.
2. Turn off the irrigation system controller (if you have one)
- Leave your controller plugged in to save programming information for next year
- Turn the controller dial to OFF.
Flush Cap at the end of a drip system.
3. Drain the water from all pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads
- There are several ways to drain your system. Manual drain valves, automatic drain valves, are blown out with compressed air. This should be left to trained professionals.
- Local irrigation specialists can be hired to help.
- If you have an irrigation system with drip hoses, we recommend you locate the end cap (flush cap) of the drip hose and drain out the water.
Don’t forget – hose bibs (or faucets located on the outside of your house) can also freeze. Make sure that water to your hose bibs is shut off. Remove any hoses that are connected to hose bibs, and turn on the faucet to allow any trapped water to drain out. On warm winter days, you may want to turn the water back ON in order to water with a hose.
by 505 Outside | Aug 2, 2018 | Blog, Maintenance, Maintenance Tips, Xeriscape
Xeriscapes can be designed to require very little maintenance, to be healthy and attractive with seasonal cleanup and pruning rather than weekly mowing, but no garden is completely maintenance-free. To ensure that your landscape looks its best and stays water-wise, you may need to:
- remove fallen leaves
- trim off old flower stems
- pull a few weeds
- observe insect activity and decide when intervention is warranted and what the least invasive and most effective approach might be,
- monitor watering
- fertilize plants that need supplementing
While this may seem like a long list of tasks, in real time most of these may amount to a few hours every two or three months. The preventative pest patrol and irrigation check can be done in the evening every week or two with a cool drink in your hand a relaxing reminder to stop and smell the roses.
by 505 Outside | Aug 2, 2018 | Blog, Maintenance, Maintenance Tips, Xeriscape
Mulches are blankets of loose material that cover the soil to minimize evaporation, keep roots cool in summer, suppress weed growth and slow erosion. Mulches can also provide visual interest and make the landscape more cohesive until young plants mature to fill the space.
Fibrous mulches such as pecan shells, shredded bark and composted cotton burrs are commonly used in planting beds, especially where plants prefer organic matter.
Stone mulches such as crusher fines and gravel of various sizes and colors, can be used as pathways, lining rainwa- ter catchment, streambeds and basins, and to add texture to planting areas where desert plants prefer improved drainage.
Never use impervious plastic sheeting under mulches as it blocks air movement needed for healthy root growth and results in shallowly rooted plants more vulnerable to wind throw. Many types of pervious landscape fabrics are available where such material is needed for weed suppression or erosion control.
