Best watering strategy for greater St. George, UT

One of the most important aspects to a great landscape result is the watering schedule.

First things first. If you maintain your own irrigation system, give your sprinkler system a tune up. Start with the clock. Taking a few minutes to read the manual will be beneficial. Familiarizing yourself with the features and controls will allow you to control the watering schedule such as which days of the week to water and how many minutes each station will water.

Next, observe the sprinklers as each zone is watering. Many times problems can be detected with a simple visual inspection. However, water delivery problems are sometimes difficult to see without an experienced eye. A good rule of thumb is to replace filters and nozzles every spring and replace heads every two years.

Check for excessive run-off. Consider the slope of terrain, thatch layer and soil composition when determining the length of time to water. Consider a plan of low duration (5 - 10 minutes) with multiple starts.

You can also check with your local County Extension office for recommendation specific to your situation and landscape.