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Turn back time, cut back watering

Daylight saving time ends Nov. 3. After you’ve enjoyed that “extra” hour of sleep, remember to reset the clock on your irrigation controller!

For many of us, fall is the best time of the year as it brings more satisfying temperatures and a muchawaited change in the air.

As you go through the normal routine of turning back clocks this weekend, don’t forget to change the time on the irrigation controller too, especially with Stage 3 watering rules continuing.

This is also a good opportunity to replace your controller’s 9-volt battery — which will retain the correct time, date and program even after power outages.

With shorter days and fewer hours of sunshine, plants no longer need as much water as they did in summer. Many are beginning to lose their leaves and prepare for winter dormancy. This results in two important changes. First, they don’t take in as much water. Second, moisture evaporates from the soil more slowly than it did just one month ago.

Although plant roots will continue to grow at a snail’s pace throughout winter, they don’t require a lot of hydration. In short, your irrigation schedule from August is totally inappropriate for November through February.

Celebrate fall’s arrival with a lower water bill by reducing individual zone run times on the controller by two thirds each. You can also use the seasonal adjust setting to decrease all the run times at once — down to 40 percent in November, 20 percent or less in December.

For the biggest water savings, switch from weekly watering to monthly watering in winter by following the holiday watering method. Here’s how it works:

  • Turn off the controller after Halloween.
  • Run the irrigation system manually once a month if it hasn’t rained at least once in the past month.
  • Use the major holidays from November to March as a reminder. Check to see if any watering is needed around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Valentine’s Day and spring break.

You can usually wait until April or May to resume weekly irrigation for grass, usually around the time you find yourself mowing weekly.

Remember, most controllers only require a single start time. Extra or “stacked” times and programs can easily quadruple your water consumption, even in winter.

Need help with irrigation controller settings? We offer free residential irrigation consultations. Call 210-704-SAVE (7283) to schedule an appointment.

Picture of Adolph Garcia
Adolph Garcia
Adolph ‘Marty’ Garcia is SAWS’ numero uno, top dog, the go-to guy for all things irrigation and has the experience (that would be 35 years) and professional memberships to back up such a stellar reputation. Not only is he a SAWS senior conservation consultant, but he also holds a Texas irrigators license, in addition to a plethora of other credentials. (Did we mention he’s a licensed plumber, too?) Teaching people about water issues is his passion, second only to America’s pastime – baseball – and the hot dogs, pretzels and beer that go with it.
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