Turn Off your Lawn and Garden Sprinklers
Adjust your sprinklers (or turn them off) for the changing weather. Let the rain do the work! Don’t pay for what you don’t need.
Recently, I’ve seen people watering their lawns. Not just irrigating, but letting the water run into the gutter.
So, the question is “Does your lawn need water”?
At this time of the year, your lawn needs very little irrigation. Technically speaking, the evapotranspiration is very, very low. That means that the plant is using and losing very little water. Why is the plant losing and using very little water, you ask? In the winter, the day length is short, and the temperature is low. The water from fog and dew are watering opportunities for the grass.
So, how do you determine if your lawn needs water?
1. An easy method is to walk across your lawn, turn around and look for your footprints. If you see your footprints, then you need to irrigate. If you do not see your footprints, then you do not need to irrigate.
2. Another method is to take a shovel or trowel and insert it into the ground 2-3 inches. In most cases, if it inserts easily, the soil is moist. If you like, take a look at the soil. Is it moist?
3. You can use a general month-to-month lawn watering guide for the Sacramento Valley. It has been developed by the University using years of Et data.
4. If you are a science geek and love math, you can calculate the Et for your lawn.
5. Your Bermuda lawn does not need to be irrigated this time of the year.
If your lawn needs water, please irrigate it properly for the season. And remember, water on the sidewalk and in the gutter is not watering your lawn.
You may be saying, but I don’t know how to turn off or adjust my irrigation timer because I cannot find the manual. The manual can be found online if you search the brand and model number.
Your flower beds or containers may need to be irrigated occasionally.
Information about lawn water on our website cecolusa.ucanr.edu ■
