The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to "watch the weather, wait to water" during the summer months of June, 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 grass during the summer. West-central Florida receives an average rainfall of 53 inches a year, and most of that falls between June and September. If your lawn is receiving enough water from rainfall, you can operate your "irrigation system (Irrigation)":/conservation/outdoors/irrigation.php manually and wait to turn it on as needed.
Research also shows that overwatering makes your lawn less drought-tolerant and can encourage pests and disease.
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 (Irrigation)":/conservation/outdoors/irrigation.php will resume normal operation. In fact, automatic shutoff devices, such as rain sensors, are now required by Florida law on all automatic irrigation systems.
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.
During the summer, adjust the sensor to interrupt irrigation after three-quarters of an inch of rain. You can purchase a new rain sensor at home improvement stores, where prices range from $17 to $60.
In addition to an automatic shutoff device, 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 surfaces such as roads and sidewalks.
Check for soft, wet spots 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.
Also look for dry spots in your lawn. They could be a sign of one of the following:
* Sprinklers are placed too far apart
* Water pressure is low
* Sprinkler patterns are blocked by overgrown grass
* Shrubs or low-hanging limbs are blocking the sprinklers
* Screens inside the sprinklers are clogged
Adjust, move or add sprinkler heads if your current sprinklers do not spray water 80 to 100 percent of the distance to the adjacent sprinkler.
By maintaining your "irrigation system (Irrigation)":/conservation/outdoors/irrigation.php and rain sensor and by "watching the weather and waiting to water," you can conserve water, save money and maintain a healthy yard.
For additional information, visit the District's web site at www.WaterMatters.org/watchtheweather.
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 at http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/ifaspubs.htm.
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 grass during the summer. West-central Florida receives an average rainfall of 53 inches a year, and most of that falls between June and September. If your lawn is receiving enough water from rainfall, you can operate your "irrigation system (Irrigation)":/conservation/outdoors/irrigation.php manually and wait to turn it on as needed.
Research also shows that overwatering makes your lawn less drought-tolerant and can encourage pests and disease.
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 (Irrigation)":/conservation/outdoors/irrigation.php will resume normal operation. In fact, automatic shutoff devices, such as rain sensors, are now required by Florida law on all automatic irrigation systems.
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.
During the summer, adjust the sensor to interrupt irrigation after three-quarters of an inch of rain. You can purchase a new rain sensor at home improvement stores, where prices range from $17 to $60.
In addition to an automatic shutoff device, 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 surfaces such as roads and sidewalks.
Check for soft, wet spots 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.
Also look for dry spots in your lawn. They could be a sign of one of the following:
* Sprinklers are placed too far apart
* Water pressure is low
* Sprinkler patterns are blocked by overgrown grass
* Shrubs or low-hanging limbs are blocking the sprinklers
* Screens inside the sprinklers are clogged
Adjust, move or add sprinkler heads if your current sprinklers do not spray water 80 to 100 percent of the distance to the adjacent sprinkler.
By maintaining your "irrigation system (Irrigation)":/conservation/outdoors/irrigation.php and rain sensor and by "watching the weather and waiting to water," you can conserve water, save money and maintain a healthy yard.
For additional information, visit the District's web site at www.WaterMatters.org/watchtheweather.
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 at http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/ifaspubs.htm.