How To Water The Yard During Drought

Watering the yard during hot dry times of the year:

1. Use the rain/soak/rain method. Let your zones run just long enough to deliver .25” of water and then move to the next zone. Then start over and run through each again about 1 hour apart. This will deliver a deep soaking that is good for the roots.

2. During the hottest part of the year, water 2 to 3 times each week (adjusting your watering for rainfall). As a rule, it is much better to water deeply and infrequently than to water a little bit every day.

3. Water a minimum of 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water during each watering session.

4. Water slowly to avoid run-off.

5. Water to a minimum soil depth of 4 inches (use a stake or screwdriver to test depth).

6. Water in the morning! The best time to water is between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. when the wind is low and the water doesn’t evaporate so fast. It also helps knock the dew off the lawn which aids in disease control.

7. Water slowly. Our heavy clay soil only accepts .25 inches of water per hour so anything over that just runs off down the storm sewer.