Water Only What Your Landscape Needs
How you schedule your sprinklers through the seasons matters as much as the condition of the equipment. Inspect your system often to make sure it covers the landscape evenly, and add a rain sensor if you do not already have one. These steps will help you give your yard just the right amount of water.
Learn How Your Controller Works
Most controllers offer several programs, multiple start times and a seasonal adjustment feature. Those tools are useful, but they also make it easy to schedule far more watering than you intended. Because controllers usually run overnight, you may not notice a broken or missing head or a cycle that runs too long.
Begin With Short Run Times
Start with a low setting and raise it a little at a time only if plants show they need more.
Water Deeply, Less Often
Longer, less frequent watering builds healthier roots. Keep your schedule within the City's current water restrictions, and set each station's run time based on the plants it serves, how much sun the area gets and the kind of sprinkler or emitter in use.
Hand Water Where Needed
No system waters every spot evenly. Use a hose to give extra water to dry patches and thirsty plants.
Adjust With the Seasons
Plants need less water in spring and fall and very little in winter, when most of them are dormant. Shutting the system off for the winter months is often a smart move.
Before you water, check which watering days and restrictions apply to your address.
Fredville is a demonstration city built by Talk to Fred. Names, numbers and details on this page are sample content.