As the weather warms up this spring, it’s time to start thinking about lawn care again. Right now is a great time to check your lawn irrigation system to make sure everything is ready to go for the summer watering season. An irrigation audit is a great way to make sure your system is operating efficiently so you can conserve water in your landscape.
An irrigation audit consists of three parts: site inspection, performance testing, and irrigation scheduling. A site inspection is an easy step. Turn on your irrigation system to make sure all sprinkler heads pop up; check the spray pattern to ensure water is not spraying onto streets, sidewalks, and hardscapes; and check for any broken or missing sprinkler heads from mower damage. All of these problems are great DIY projects.
Performance testing is a way to check how much water your irrigation system is putting out in your lawn. The best way to check this is by setting out some mini rain gauges. I often use tuna cans or small plastic food storage containers. Put the cans out in several spots throughout the lawn, run your irrigation system for ten minutes, then measure how much water was fallen in each can. This helps you know the average amount of water your system puts out in ten minutes, and you can adjust your schedule to get the appropriate amount of water on your lawn each time you water.
Irrigation scheduling is the final, and possibly most important step in an irrigation audit. There are a lot of factors that go into the formula for figuring out how much water a lawn needs (temperature, relative humidity, plant requirements, soil type, etc), but the rule of thumb for turfgrass is one-inch per week in the summer and less in the spring and fall. You can divide your watering schedule into two times per week at half an inch per irrigation time. The most important thing to remember is to only water if your lawn needs to be watered. Look for visible wilt in your turfgrass. Do not irrigate after a good rain.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a program called “Water University” with great video tutorials and fact sheets about fixing irrigation systems, cycle soak irrigation, and water conservation. Check it out at https://wateruniversity.tamu.edu/. Contact your city’s water department to find out when you are allowed to water your lawn and if they offer a rebate program for conducting an irrigation audit.
