Ideas
7. Baby Your New Plants
New plants need extra water during their first 12 months in your garden,
which is called the establishment period. If all of the plants within an
irrigation zone are new, then use the instructions below to program your
controller. If you have new plants among mature plants, apply the extra
water by hand.
Water daily for two weeks after planting to mimic the watering routine in
most nurseries.
Treat your low-water-use plants like moderate water users and your
moderate-water-use plants like high water users.
Water once a week for the total minutes per week recommended
by the Landscape Watering Calculator. Disregard the start times per week.
Move drip emitters slowly outward from the rootball as a plant grows to
encourage root development.
Maintain the establishment period watering schedule through your new
garden's first summer.
8. Water at Sunrise or Sunset
Soil absorbs the most water from irrigation when the temperature,
evaporation rate and wind are lower.
9. Don't Water When it Rains
Connect a rain sensor to a standard irrigation controller and it will act just
like a weather-based controller. Watering will stop automatically when the
sensor records 1/8 inch of rainfall.
$20-$50 at irrigation supply or hardware stores
10. Maintain Your Mulch
Maintaining a three-inch layer of mulch protects soil from direct
sunlight and evaporation. It also absorbs water, reducing runoff and
providing more moisture for your soil.
Favorite
Websites
These manufacturers
provide how-to videos
98
hunterindustries.com
orbitonline.com
rainbird.com
toro.com
