Proper Summer Irrigation - Garden Style San Antonio

Lower your water bill with proper summer irrigation.

Irrigation Check-Up

At least once each month, your irrigation system needs a check-up. Follow these steps.

Turn on each zone for a few minutes and watch the sprinkler heads. Are they spraying in the right direction? Are there any “gushers” indicating a broken head or missing nozzle?

Turn on any soaker or drip lines and watch them run for a few minutes. A damaged soaker hose must be replaced because it will not work properly and does not repair well.

Check your rain sensor. Is it working? Internal disks must be replaced every two years.

Many South Texas homeowners have realized that their Zoysia, Bermuda or buffalo grass lawns can go dormant for the hottest, driest part of the summer and then green up within days when the rains begin again. Even St. Augustine grass in the shade can survive a San Antonio summer without watering. Choosing the dormancy option is the best way to keep your water bill low, but even if you choose to have a green lawn, the bill can be relatively low.

The average 8,000 square foot lawn uses nearly 3,500 gallons every time it is irrigated in mid-summer. Eliminating even two irrigation cycles in a month saves a tremendous amount of water and lowers your water bill. Grass appearance will be slightly less lush, but grass health will be fine.

Another option to save money is to follow our weekly irrigation advice in the Garden Style San Antonio e-newsletter. This online advice offers recommendations based on weather data that tells us how much water your lawn needs to stay green.

By Calvin Finch, Ph.D., Guest Author

About

Guest Author

Our Guest Authors are fantastic former SAWS employees, incredible interns and community leaders in the local landscaping world. They are all as passionate as we are about saving water with beautiful, diverse landscapes.