Irrigation

Water for Optimum Performance and Health

Scheduling and efficiently delivering the amount of water needed for the season is the goal of turf irrigation management.  These goals can be difficult to achieve, and the result is often that much more water is delivered than is either used by the turf or necessary for its health.  Download the FREE publications below to help you achieve these goals.

Keys to best irrigation management include:

• IRRIGATE SLOWLY and DEEPLY (8-12 inches) to encourage deep, healthy roots that resist drought.
• ADJUST VALVE RUN TIMES MONTHLY to reflect current grass needs.
• TURN VALVES OFF once rains begin in fall.
• DON'T TURN VALVES ON again until soil begins to dry out in spring.
• CHECK SPRINKLER HEADS regularly to make sure they are unclogged, aimed correctly, and not blocked by tall foliage.
• AERATE according to turf use to increase infiltration.
• CHECK FOR RUNOFF and adjust run times accordingly:
  • Stop run time before runoff occurs.
  • Add run times at 1-hour intervals until target depth is reached.

Water that runs off is water that's wasted!

FREE PUBLICATIONS

UC Lawn Watering Guide for California

Managing Turf for Drought

5 Easy Steps to Setting your Irrigation Controller (for home or smaller landscape maintenance)

Interpreting Turfgrass Irrigation Water Test Results

USEFUL WEBSITES

The UC Lawn Watering Guide