Give yourself the gift of lower water bills with the holiday watering schedule.
Malachi Leo, Planner in SAWS Conservation
As warm temperatures slowly dwindle, so do the water needs of your plants as they prepare for their own winter holidays. Because cooler soil temperatures mean more water retained in the soil and less demand for water by plants, it’s important to wind down your watering for a while.
One of our favorite ways to save water during winter is to use the holiday watering method — watering once a month during winter in the absence of rainfall. If your irrigation controller has seasonal adjust and you’ve set it up, no need to worry about this. But if not, how do you remember to water?
The answer is simple: pick one holiday each month and if it hasn’t rained for the past month, run your system manually on your designated day that week, turning it off afterwards.
By doing this, you can ensure your plants have the monthly water they need to carry out their biological processes, while keeping your water bill low.
Not only can watering too much during the cool months increase your risk of introducing fungal diseases into your turf, but it’s not necessary for dormant summer turf grass. Instead, excess water is used by winter weeds that will drive you crazy come springtime.
Remember that irrigation systems can more than double your water bill because, on average, they use 2,000 gallons every time they run. (That’s the average amount of water one person uses a month!) Think of it this way: Running your irrigation system just once is like having another person in your home. Talk about unwanted guests.
So, this holiday season, focus on the guests that matter. Don’t let your irrigation system have an expensive seat at the table. Give yourself and your irrigation system a break.
