Grass lawns in the greater Albuquerque area need supplemental irrigation to survive our high desert climate. Most residential landscapes are watered by pop-up spray heads that include a sprinkler nozzle set into a spray sprinkler body.
We recommend switching out your older sprinkler nozzles and spray sprinkler bodies for more water efficient ones. Take a look below. They are easy to install; check out the pictures to see how simple it is.
These devices provide pressure regulation at each individual spray head. The sprinkler body is the exterior shell that connects to the irrigation system piping and houses the spray nozzle that applies water to your landscape. WaterSense-labeled spray sprinkler bodies with internal pressure regulation can reduce water waste by providing a consistent flow at the sprinkler nozzle. When the sprinkler body maintains pressure near its optimal operating pressure, the connected nozzle is better able to generate the right amount of water spray and coverage for more uniform distribution of water across the landscape.
Installation is simple. First remove the old spray body by twisting it off and then twist on the new spray body.
High Efficiency Rotating Sprinkler Nozzles (multi-stream)
We also encourage you to change your existing spray heads to high efficiency sprinkler nozzles. These nozzles minimize water waste with unique, multi-trajectory rotating streams that deliver water at a steady rate. This slower application rate allows water to gently soak in at rates that soils can absorb. Use these nozzles to replace the sprinkler head on any conventional spray head body or pop-up sprinkler for water savings of up to 30%.
High efficiency sprinkler nozzles are a great solution for upgrading an old and poorly performing sprinkler system. These nozzles create a heavier droplet that is less affected by wind and reduce misting. These nozzles work especially well with pressure regulating bodies. These heads require longer run times. Don’t worry it does not use more water, because rotary nozzles deliver water at a slower rate than typical spray nozzles. Therein lies the efficiency: water saturates deep into the root zone rather than running off and evaporating. This can also help reduce the frequency of runs, thereby saving water.
To make the upgrade, carefully pull the riser out of the sprinkler body, it’s spring loaded so keep a hold of it while you unscrew the old nozzle and replace it. After you replace the nozzle you may need to turn the system back on and rotate the body slightly to adjust the spray direction. Pull up the existing nozzles in your sprinklers. While holding them, remove the cap from the sprinkler and install the appropriate spray nozzle, as indicated on the plan. If you are using Hunter brand nozzles be sure to also buy this little orange tool to adjust the spray arc. Rainbird nozzles can be adjusted by turning the ridged rings with your fingers.
In celebration of five years of bringing you 505Outside, we’d like to share our most popular articles from the website. 505Outside is your resource for beautiful, desert friendly landscapes. Desert friendly landscapes are resilient, sustainable, enjoyable and inspiring.
The articles below are the ones our community keeps coming back to year after year, month after month.
The Dirt on Albuquerque Weeds There are two times a year in the greater Albuquerque area when weeds can get out of hand. This happens typically in early spring after a wet winter and after a monsoon season in late summer. The first thing to do is to identify the plant and decide whether it is actually a weed. This article reviews the most common weeds in town.
Basics about Turf Grasses in New Mexico Many homeowners would like a turf grass lawn, but might feel irresponsible watering a lawn in the arid Southwest. The key to choosing a turf grass is to determine the one most suited to the specific needs of your landscape. This article discusses four different grass types.
Use Drip Irrigation for Trees and Shrubs Drip irrigation is the recommended method of delivering water to shrubs, trees and all other plants that are not considered turf grasses. This article discusses the rules of thumb for irrigating trees and shrubs.
Basics of Fruit Tree Pruning All trees require some amount of pruning, especially when young, in order to set up good structure. Fruit trees have a few special considerations related to our intense sunlight, specific pests, and where on the tree the fruit is produced. This article covers the basics.
Three Ways to Water Established Trees. Trees are incredibly valuable and provide a wide array of benefits, from increasing home values to improving mental health. It’s more important now than ever to take care of your existing trees. This article outlines three strateties for watering your mature established trees.
Sometimes you need help to create your perfect desert friendly landscape. Many times, this involves hiring a landscape contractor. The Water Utility Authority is committed to helping its customers. Below we share some tips to help you choose a landscape contractor.
It’s important to start with a to-scale landscape design plan. This may be done by a professional landscape architect or a landscape designer. Or perhaps you worked up your own design plan.
Hiring a landscape contractor requires research similar to what you would do when hiring any home repair contractor. It’s important to consider the following:
Is the contractor able to secure bonding and are they insured?
What are the contractor’s credentials (formal training, references, professional certification)?
Does the contractor belong to a local or national trade association and abide by its standards?
Does the contractor have a Water Smart Contractor listing through the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority?
The contractor should provide references for projects similar in size, scope and design so you can talk to previous customers about their experiences.
The contractor should share photographs of other projects you can check out.
Estimate/Bid and Contract
The contractor should provide you with a detailed, line-item estimate for the work. This will include the price of the materials, labor, taxes and permit costs if applicable. A detailed estimate will help you accurately compare pricing and services.
A signed estimate may act as the official contract, a legal requirement that will protect both you and the contractor if anything goes wrong.
What is the payment schedule? Most contractors will ask for anywhere from 30% to 50% up front so they can purchase materials. They should provide you with a general timeline or payment schedule.
How long will the construction take, and what does the sequencing/schedule look like?
How does the contractor manage additional work that may be added in the middle of the project and is not on the plan?
During and After Construction
Who will be the contractor’s point person, someone you can go to with questions? How will they communicate with you and how often?
How will the contractor handle variabilities that come up during construction?
What happens if there is a delay once construction has started?
The contractor should show you how to maintain the landscape after it is built and how to work the elements installed, such as the irrigation controller.
What are the warranties for the project? What do they cover and exclude?
Does the contractor provide troubleshooting support during the first year after installation?
Albuquerque has a variety of soil types. Learning what type of soil is in your yard is a critical step to understanding how water will infiltrate the soil and how long specific plants need to be watered to get the water to the correct depth.
VALLEY SOILS
Valley soils vary from dense clay to grainy sand. They are layered and braided through the area because of the historic flooding of the Rio Grande. The valley also is where acequias weave through the community, providing many essential benefits. They provide water for creating foodsheds and are culturally significant for our community. They also help create and maintain our tree canopy and provide much needed pollinator habitat. This remains particularly important in our changing climate.
EAST MESA AND FOOTHILLS SOILS
The soils in the foothills are usually coarse, whereas the decomposed granite soils on the mesa are generally finer and prone to compaction. These soils have a broad range of organic material along with the base of decomposed granite, making for a huge diversity, even within a building site. Groundwater is deep — only shallow enough to be occasionally accessible to plants in unpaved arroyos near the foothills and stormwater basins fed by urban pavement.
WEST MESA SOILS
West Mesa soils, which vary from silty clay loam to finer sands, are sometimes deposited in a shallow layer above volcanic basalt. Groundwater is too deep to be accessible to most plants except in large stormwater collecting basins.
EAST MOUNTAIN SOILS
East Mountain soils tend to be a mix of moisture-retaining clay loams with some fast-draining gravelly deposits. The density and type of plant cover reflect the relative soil moisture. In upslope areas, where temperatures are consistently cooler and rain and snow more abundant, shrubland transitions to mixed conifer forest. Slopes tend to be drier than depressions, which accumulate moisture.
HOW WATER MOVES THROUGH DIFFERENT SOILS
Water soaks into sandy soils much more quickly than in clay soils, but it travels downward in a narrow pattern. In clay soils, the water travels much more slowly and spreads out in a much wider pattern.
Pro Tips:
• Plants in sandy soils generally need additional emitters to distribute water more evenly in a root zone. They also may need to be watered more frequently but for shorter amounts of time.
• Plants in clay soils generally need fewer emitters because the water spreads out. They will probably need to be watered less frequently but for longer periods.
• All soils need to drain between waterings to allow oxygen back into the soil pores.
A struggling plant may be receiving too much water. If soil stays saturated, plants will drown. Since there is a lot of clay in our soils, it is very easy to drown plants. A drowning plant often has similar symptoms to one not receiving enough water: wilted leaves and poor color. Always check soil moisture with a moisture meter before adding more water.
PERFORMING A JAR TEST TO DETERMINE SOIL TYPE
An easy way to get a better idea of what type of soil you are working with is to conduct a jar test. A jar test will separate the three main components of soil: sand, silt and clay. These determine the soil texture that contributes to drainage and overall plant health.
Most building sites, including home sites and the land directly surrounding them, have areas of heavy compaction. When soil is compacted, pore space that allows oxygen and water to get to the root zone is reduced, building an impermeable layer in the soil.
Soil compaction adversely affects percolation rates (the movement of water through the pores) and makes it much harder for roots to expand within the soil and thrive.
HOW TO TEST THE PERCOLATION RATE IN SOIL
If you do a jar test you will have a pretty good idea what percentage of sand, silt and clay make up your soil. Performing a percolation test will allow you to see how your soil interacts with water.
TOOLS NEEDED:
Shovel, yardstick, timer/watch, pen, paper and hose
To get your hourly percolation rate, divide how long it takes the water to drop 2 inches by 120. A soil percolation rate between 1 and 3 inches per hour is adequate for plants with average drainage needs. If the rate is less than 1 inch per hour, drainage is too slow, and the soil will either need to be improved by adding compost or planted with plants that tolerate wet soils. Watering should be less frequent but longer.
If the drainage is more than 4 inches per hour, it is too fast. Soil will need to be amended with compost and other organic matter either by digging it in or using it as a top dressing. Watering should be more frequent and for shorter time periods.
WHY IS MY SOIL COMPACTED?
Many things — including construction, heavy equipment or vehicles, or a lack of organic matter — can create compacted soil that won’t allow water to drain. One way to prevent further compaction is to park your vehicles and store heavy items only in your driveway or on soil devoid of trees or landscaping.
HOW DO I IMPROVE MY SOIL?
Add organic matter (compost) to clay to make it more permeable and add compost to sand to improve its water-holding capacity.
Add a deep (3”-4”) layer of organic mulch to help all soil types retain moisture better, suppress weeds and feed soil microorganisms. Native and low water use, desert friendly plants do not need compost. Although they will grow slowly in uncompacted native soil, they thrive best there.
The Albuquerque metro area has a wide variety of landscape types, which include desert-friendly landscapes, lush pollinator-friendly xeriscapes and wildscapes or prairie plantings where native grasses and wildflowers bring the feel of a prairie to a yard. Rain gardens are specifically designed to make the most of natural precipitation, while edible landscapes have garden beds or edible plants interspersed throughout them. Efficient turfscapes have smaller areas of turfgrass and diverse plantings. Conventional turfscapes, with large areas of cool-season grasses and high-water foundation shrub plantings, are no longer considered desert-friendly landscapes. The term “desert-friendly” now describes a variety of landscapes that include beautiful, diverse plantings with increased resiliency achieved through efficient watering.
Rain gardens, a subset of xeriscapes, maximize the benefits of active and passive rainwater harvesting. Plant choices become more critical, particularly if the intent is to use little supplemental irrigation.
Pro Tips for Rain Gardens:
* Direct any overflow from a rain barrel or cistern into a passive water harvesting system.
* Prioritize trees for passive rainwater harvesting.
* Choose low-water and rainwater-only plants for the best results.
* Contour the soil to create gentle berms that drain better. Put water-loving plants in the low spots (swales) where rainwater and irrigation water collect.
Edible garden landscapes need to have dedicated valves so they can be watered more frequently than our average desert-friendly landscapes. These landscapes should not be watered at the same time as the rest of the drip zones.
The key to growing the best quality produce, fruit-bearing trees, shrubs and vegetables is having a consistent watering schedule that is maintained until harvest. If you are unable to install a new irrigation valve for your edible garden, you can connect it to your hose spigot with a spigot irrigation timer. We recommend the smart versions of these timers. Rebates are available.
We recommend using ¼” polyline with inline drip emitter tubing. Drippers should be located every 6” along the tubing for irrigation in both raised beds and veggie rows. The drippers require no maintenance since they are installed within the polyline. Each dripper is engineered with a little bit of copper that kills off roots that try to grow into the dripline. They are easily connected to a ¾” polyline flexible irrigation supply line. Metal irrigation stakes help keep everything in place.
All these materials can be purchased at local irrigation stores. Drip irrigation is not only the most efficient way to water your edible garden but it is also very affordable.
