This
week's tip will help you avoid a common water waste problem
that affects many homeowners -- sprinkler runoff.
How much and how long to
apply water depends on the type of soil that is being watered. Hard,
compacted soil takes considerably longer to absorb water
than loose granular soil. In order to maximize water
use and prevent runoff, use the cycle and soak method of
irrigation.
For example instead of watering all at once, set your sprinklers to water grass:
3 times a day
4 minutes each watering zone
1 hour in between each watering cycle
Watering in increments gives compacted soil adequate time
to soak up water. Once the water from the first round of
watering is absorbed, then water again about an hour later.
The already moist soil will enable additional water to travel
even deeper to the roots and in turn, create a healthier
lawn.
Applying too much water in one increment results in the
ground reaching a saturation point meaning any additional
water will run-off and be wasted.
Different types of grass and soil will require differing
amounts of water. In order to determine how deeply
the water is penetrating into the soil in your yard, all
that's needed is a shovel. Simply pick an area of the lawn
that is irrigated and about 30 minutes after watering, dig
a small hole, and use your hand to determine how deeply the
water has penetrated.
In most lawn and garden situations, it's best if water is
penetrating 6 to 8 inches beneath the surface of the soil. If
the soil is still dry at this depth, then another cycle may
be needed to encourage deep root growth.
We hope you've found this tip useful. For additional information,
take a look at the following pages of our website:
This
week's tip will help you avoid a common water waste problem
that affects many homeowners -- sprinkler runoff.