Spring is on the way! I am already enjoying the warmer temperatures, and I confess to making a few impulse plant purchases. Those new tomato plants were too tempting for this horticulturist to resist, even if I have to protect them from potential freezes this month.
While our lawns have not started to green up quite yet, this is a good time to start preparing for warmer weather. One task to start doing now is an irrigation system check-up. You can perform a three-part check to make sure your system is in good working order before the weather gets hot, and this leaves plenty of time to call a professional if your irrigation system needs repairs.
Start checking your system with a visual inspection. Turn on the irrigation system to make sure all the sprinkler heads pop up; check for broken or missing sprinkler heads. Check the spray pattern to make sure water is not spraying onto streets, sidewalks, and other hardscapes. The spray pattern can usually be adjusted using a plastic key or wrench at the top of the sprinkler head. Check your instruction manual for guidance, or many irrigation companies have helpful video tutorials online.
Conduct a catch-can audit on your system to measure how much water your irrigation system is putting out in a certain amount of time. This helps to make sure your lawn is being watered evenly and will help you determine how long you need to run your irrigation system.
To conduct a catch-can audit, place several mini rain gauges in each zone of your irrigation system. I like to use tuna cans or cat food cans, but you can purchase catch-cans online. Run the zone for 15 minutes and measure how much water is in each can in inches. If you have an average of 0.5 inches of water in the cans, you know that your system is putting out two inches of precipitation per hour. Be sure to take note of the measurement of water in each can so you can check the uniformity of your irrigation system. If you have some cans with significantly less water than the others in the zone, you might need to adjust the spray pattern on your nozzles or see if the nozzle is clogged.
Once you have checked all the sprinkler heads and conducted your catch-can audit, you have the information you need to schedule your irrigation system. Remember, your irrigation system is only providing supplement watering if we do not receive enough rain. On average in Central Texas, you do not need to begin irrigating your lawn until the end of May or June, and you can turn off your irrigation system in September.
Wait until your lawn shows visible wilt before you turn on your irrigation system. In the heat of summer, most lawns only need 1.0 or 1.5 inches of precipitation per week to be healthy. You can set your system to water two times per week, but only run it long enough to put out 0.5 or 0.75 inches each time. Remember to check with your municipal department to find the days you are allowed to water your lawn and be mindful of water conservation restrictions during times of drought.
For more information about lawn and garden topics, contact Kate Whitney, Williamson County Horticulture Extension Agent, at 512-943-3300.
