Watering Tips for the Home Owner

Here are tips for reducing the cost of operating and maintaining an automatic irrigation system:

 

  1. Know how to run your irrigation controller and change watering times.
  2. Adjust the watering times and the frequency of watering (daily, twice a week, etc.) based on weather conditions.
  3. Change your settings to adjust for seasonal differences and reset the timer when needed.
  4. Ask your contractor to install an inexpensive rain shutoff device or soil moisture sensor.
  5. Regularly have a certified irrigation auditor check for leaks, broken heads and other problems.
  6. Make sure the maintenance contractor is licensed and  insured, reputable and is legally authorized to maintain irrigation systems in your area.
  7. Only water after the sun has gone down or in the early morning.
  8. Make sure your spray and sprinkler heads are properly adjusted to avoid watering pavements and other non-landscape areas.
  9. Water areas in the shade about 30 percent less than sunny areas.
  10. If possible use drip irrigation to water trees and shrubs.
  11. To eliminate runoff, set your clock to cycle 2-4 start times if your timer allows.
  12. Develop a separate drip watering schedule for trees, shrubs and flower beds.
  13. Aerate in the spring and fall to loosen soil and reduce runoff.

Setting your Controller:

In the Houston metro area, we get a lot of rain. That means the supplemental watering requirements of your plants for is fairly low. Most people in our area over-water their lawn and shrubs. Below is a table that you can use as a guideline to set your automatic sprinkler system. Keep in mind that there are many factors that go into a true calculation of your time requirements. The table below assumes partial shading, level ground, and nominal precipitation rates for your sprinkler heads, normal rainfall, and average temperatures and humidity for Houston. The table below assumes that your controller has "water budgeting" feature. The controller is initially set at 30 minutes for rotor zones and 10 minutes for spray zones. The difference is due to the different precipitation rates of rotors verses spray heads. Always adjust based on the condition of your vegetation. This is only meant to be a starting point.

Typical Water Budget Table Houston, TX:

 

Days of watering per week Water  Budget Percent
January 1 Day per Week 20%
February 2 Days per Week 20%
March 3 Days per Week 40%
April 4 Days per Week 60%
May 5 Days per Week 80%
June 6 Days per Week 100%
July 6 Days per Week 100%
August 5 Days per Week 100%
September 4 Days per Week 80%
October 3 Days per Week 60%
November 2 Days per Week 40%
December 1 Days per Week 20%