BE A WISE WATERER!
Friday, March 13, 2009 @2:36pm CST
Reported by: Melissa Clifton Sturdivant







With rainfall in such short supply, supplemental irrigation is a must to keep the home landscape alive.  However, irrigation must be efficient and practical so that our natural resource is not wasted.  Overhead irrigation is the most often technique used to irrigate lawn areas.  However, as depicted in Figure 1, when irrigation is not properly applied or monitored, water is wasted.

Overhead irrigation systems should be audited to determine if they are working efficiently.  An informal audit can be done by simply placing tuna cans in the irrigated zoned areas of the landscape.  The irrigation system should be turned on manually and monitored to determine how long it takes to fill the can with water, which represents about one inch of water.  To promote a healthy and deep root system, one inch of water is all that is needed each week.  Irrigation can come naturally from precipitation or from supplemental irrigation.  More frequent irrigation results in a shallower root system which is more susceptible to environmental stresses, diseases and pests.

Irrigate at the right time.  Irrigation should be applied in the early morning hours and preferably before 10 am.  This allows water to evaporate from the leaf surfaces, and watering can be completed before wind speeds pick up, which typically occurs in the afternoon and evening hours.  Overhead irrigation from sprinkler systems which are set on automatic timers to run at nighttime invite problems – diseases and fungal pathogens will love the moist cool temperatures.
Drip emitters and soaker hoses are viable options for homeowners to manage irrigation of bedding areas and vegetable gardens.  Use of these types of irrigation methods places water where it is needed – at the root zone of the plant!  These practices also reduce the occurrence of disease and pest infestations.

Another important practice that aids in more efficient irrigation in home landscapes is the use of mulch.  Soaker hoses and drip irrigation lines should be covered with mulch.  Using mulch has many positive benefits and is an integral component of an Earth-Kind™ environmentally-conscious landscape.  Mulch reduces evaporation of water from the soil, reduces weed growth, provides nutrients as the mulch decomposes, and regulates the soil temperature.  Using mulch promotes a healthy soil and provides the best growing conditions and environment for a lush landscape while also conserving and protecting our water resources.