Maintenance Tips
Low-maintenance landscapes are great, but there’s no such thing as a “no-maintenance” irrigation system. A single broken sprinkler head flowing at 15 gallons per minute will waste 900 gallons in one hour of use. So service your system regularly, and check it often for leaks and malfunctions.
Ramp down your watering schedule for the Fall
Your landscape needs a lot less water in September than it did in the summertime. About 35 percent less on average. The days may still be warm, but shorter days and cooler nights in the months of September, October and November means less evaporation, which means less...
3 Steps to Landscape Success
The Water Authority encourages efficient outdoor water use for beautiful landscapes. With some 40 percent of our drinking water going to landscaping, improving outdoor water use efficiency is now the main focus of the Water Authority’s conservation efforts. But...
4 Common Myths about Organic Mulch
Experienced gardeners in New Mexico know that the key to success is in the soil. Soils in our climate are highly erosive and without care will blow away with spring winds or wash out during summer monsoons. Covering bare soil with mulch is an essential gardening...
Spring Irrigation Startup
When do I start my irrigation system back up? Turn on your irrigation system after the last chance of freezing temperatures has passed (typically late March in the greater Albuquerque area, but possibly as late as mid-April). This will prevent damage to your...
Spring Landscape Cleanup
March is the perfect time to clean up your landscape to prepare for the spring growing season. In fact late March is the best time because new growth hasn’t completely emerged, making it easier to see the structure of the plants. For the same reason, this is also the...
The Dirt on Albuquerque’s Weeds
WEED IDENTIFICATION Most definitions of a weed call it “a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition of cultivated plants.” What you may call a weed in your yard may be a beloved plant in your neighbor’s yard. There are two times a year in the...
The Basics of Fruit Tree Pruning
Everyone should consider planting fruit trees in their yard. Because of our climate, fruit trees grow really well in our area. Besides the joy they bring when we harvest delicious fruit, they put on a beautiful show with spring flowers, create shade, and provide...
“Low Maintenance” is Not“No Maintenance”
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,...
Mulching
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...
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Water Conservation Program
P.O. Box 568
Albuquerque, NM 87103-0568
505-842-WATR Option 4
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P.O. Box 568
Albuquerque, NM 87103-0568
505-842-WATR