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How to Water your Lawn

You may wonder when to water your lawn and for how long. Southeastern Idaho has a generally high evapotranspiration (ET) rate during the summer season, and is composed mostly of soils with a high infiltration rate (low water retention). Unfortunately, many homeowners will actually over water their lawns in response to the seeming drought. To prevent under watering and over watering, follow our suggested guidelines:

• 2″ of water a week: Your lawn needs about 2″ of water a week to make up for water loss in the Upper Snake River Valley. You may need more or less than two inches depending on the following: your yard’s soil, the amount of shade in your yard, the slope/drainage patterns of your yard, and overall temperature or precipitation at the time.
  
• 3-4 times a week: divide the 2″ of water into 3 or 4 applications per week. Longer watering less frequently is much healthier for your plants as it encourages a deeper root zone and healthier root systems.
• 40-45 minutes per watering: You will need to check with your sprinkler’s specific GPM and precipitation rate. On average, a 10 zone system on a 1 acre lot requires 40 minutes of watering per station. A 2 zone system on a 1/4 acre lot requires 45 minutes at each station.
  
• Begin watering early in the morning.
• Watch for Mother Nature: if there is a week of solid rain, do your lawn a favor and turn off your sprinklers for a few days. If the temperatures rise and your grass is drying out, water a little more frequently for a little longer until the heat wave passes.
  
• Adjust or repair sprinkler heads: if there are noticeable dry or wet spots, your sprinkler heads may need to be adjusted or repaired. Call one of our sprinkler technicians for assistance. This could prevent costly damage down the road.
  

Outback Landscape provides sprinkler start up services. During a sprinkler start up, our technicians turn on the main water (after the last heavy frost), adjust/repair sprinkler heads, test each zone, and set your sprinkler clock. We also provide pond start-ups. Let us know if you need us to start your pond or sprinkler systems.