The Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to “watch the weather, wait to water” during the months of July, August and September.
According to research by the University of Florida, an average of three-quarters of an inch of water every three to five days is enough to replenish the grass during the summer. In fact, Florida receives an average rainfall of 53 inches a year, and most of that falls between June and September, so residents can operate their irrigation systems manually during the rainy summer months.
Research also shows that saturating the root zone and then letting the soil dry encourages healthy, deep root growth. Overwatering makes your lawn less drought-tolerant and can encourage pests.
In addition to watching the weather, a rain sensor is a simple device that will help you determine if your lawn has received enough rain. A rain sensor will override your system when enough rain has fallen. As water evaporates from the device, the irrigation system will resume normal operation. In fact, rain sensors are required by Florida law on all automatic irrigation systems installed since 1991.
Make sure the rain sensor is located away from overhead obstructions, with a clear view of the sky and at least five feet away from air-conditioning units or pool heaters.
Check it regularly to make sure the device is working properly and that the corresponding switch in the control box is set at “on.” Test the device by wetting the sensor to verify the system won’t operate when the controller has received the set amount of water.
Adjust the sensor to interrupt irrigation after three-quarters of an inch of rain. If there is a vent ring located just below the cap, the vent can be closed or partially closed to restrict air flow through the discs. Make sure the vent is closed so it will allow the disks to dry more slowly, thus keeping the system off for a longer period of time. This adjustment is used to compensate for an “overly sunny” location.
If you need to replace or purchase a new rain sensor, you can purchase one at home improvement stores for between $17 and $60.
In addition to a rain sensor, it is also important to make sure the rest of your irrigation system is working properly.
On your irrigation day, manually start your irrigation system for each zone to check for leaks, broken pipes, damaged or tilted sprinkler heads, blocked sprinkler patterns and overspray onto impermeable surfaces such as roads and sidewalks.
Check for soft, wet spots that are around the inground sprinkler head. If consistent, these spots could indicate a leak that is being absorbed into the ground. Contact your irrigation maintenance specialist if repairs are needed.
Look for dry spots. They are a sign of one of the following:
- sprinklers may be placed too far apart
- water pressure is low
- sprinkler patterns may be blocked by overgrown grass
- shrubs or low-hanging limbs may be blocking the sprinklers
- screens inside the sprinklers are clogged.
Adjust, move or add sprinkler heads if your current sprinklers do not throw water 80 to 100 percent of the distance to the adjacent sprinkler.
By maintaining your irrigation system and rain sensor and by “watching the weather and waiting to water” you can conserve water, save money, maintain a healthy yard and help replenish the aquifer. After three years of below-normal rainfall, every drop is needed to bring the aquifer and our lakes and rivers back up to normal levels.
For additional information about water restrictions, please contact your local utility or visit the District’s web site at WaterMatters.org./drought or call 1-800-836-0797, ext. 2298, during normal business hours. You can also learn about water conservation and the drought, or schedule a speaker on the District’s web site.
Additional research about efficient irrigation and other landscaping topics can be found on the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension web site atwww.fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/ifaspubs.htm.