Water early in the morning; check soil moisture before irrigating
Check your soil moisture before you irrigate. Soil may look dry on top, but can be moist a few inches below the surface. Kathy Morrison
When it comes to saving water, early birds have the right idea – early is better.
Irrigation experts agree: Water early in the morning, especially in summer.
“You want to water when it’s cooler and there’s less opportunity for evaporation,” explains Linda Higgins, deputy director of customer services for the Placer County Water Agency. “Mid-afternoon is the hottest time of the day. You have to apply more water (for the same results).”
During hot afternoons, less water absorbs into the soil where plants need it. Instead, water can evaporate into the air – often before it even hits the ground.
Morning irrigation also supports healthier plants; wet foliage has a chance to dry. If water is applied overhead during the evening or at night, that moisture could lead to outbreaks of fungal disease such as powdery mildew. When watered in the morning, plants have all day to dry.
Here’s more expert advice on summer irrigation:
1. Focus on soil moisture
Whatever time of day, check soil moisture before watering, Higgins adds. “The top of the soil is not telling you the full story. It could look dry, especially in summer. But you need to check further down either with a moisture meter, a screwdriver or your hands.”
– A moisture meter instantly reads if soil is wet, dry or just right. Most local water agencies are now offering free moisture meters. (Check with your water provider, https://bewatersmart.info/rebates-and-services/.)
– Or try the screwdriver method: Plunge a long-handled screwdriver into the soil. If it easily goes in 6 inches, the soil is sufficiently moist. If not, it’s time to water.
– To test for moisture by hand, use a trowel to dig down 6 inches and grab a fistful of soil. Does it clump? Then, moisture is OK. “If it feels dry, it needs water,” Higgins says.
2. Maintain that soil moisture with organic mulch
Organic mulch (such as wood chips, straw, compost or dried leaves) helps soil retain its moisture while keeping plant roots and soil microbes comfortable in heat or cold. The mulch also feeds soil microbes, essential for healthy plants. In turn, healthy plants need less water and better withstand summer stress.
3. Make the most of smart tools
No. 1 is a smart irrigation controller, available at a discount from several local water providers. (Again, check here: https://bewatersmart.info/rebates-and-services/.) “It’s a good tool to have,” says Higgins. “The primary reason we offer smart controller rebates is, if there is a rain event, it shuts off (irrigation). You’re no longer running your sprinklers during a storm.”
Smart controllers use local weather-based data plus soil moisture monitoring to determine when water is needed and how much. “It automatically adjusts the water applied to actual need,” she adds. “On hotter days, a smart controller will increase the amount of time water is applied. A regular controller just waters the same amount all the time. This helps maximize your irrigation system.”
Smart controllers also make it easier to “cycle and soak” (eliminating runoff) and to set early-morning run times. (Be an early bird without getting out of bed.)
4. Get smarter about irrigation needs
To better understand their landscapes’ needs, Sacramento area water customers have a handy online tool, the recently updated Sacramento Region Smart Irrigation Scheduler. (Try it here: https://beyondthedrought.com/index2.php.)
“The Sacramento Region Smart Irrigation Scheduler helps you calculate how much you need to water your landscape, in minutes per week per sprinkler zone,” Higgins explains. “Now, if I’ve lost you at sprinkler zone, that’s OK; this will help you get acquainted with your landscape and your sprinkler controller, too.
“What’s cool about the Sacramento Region Smart Irrigation Scheduler is it helps you build a better watering schedule and helps you get to know the relationship between your landscape and the sprinkler controller, and you get a healthier better-looking landscape as a result.”
For more details: https://bewatersmart.info/
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
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April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
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April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
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Garden checklist for week of July 19
Remember to water early and deeply; your garden depends on you.
* It’s not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Water, then fertilize vegetables and blooming annuals, perennials and shrubs to give them a boost.
*Fertilizing flowering plants every other week will extend their bloom. Give vegetable plants bone meal or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting.
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week. Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* If your melons and squash aren’t setting fruit, give the bees a hand. With a small, soft paintbrush, gather some pollen from male flowers, then brush it inside the female flowers, which have a tiny swelling at the base of their petals. (That's the embryo melon or squash.) Within days, that little swelling should start growing.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves. New leaves have the best flavor.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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