How Should I Water MY Lawn and Landscape during this Heat Wave?

Here on Long Island most of our landscapes prefer cool to moderate warm weather and do not like this tropical heat. Plants are very resilient and over the millennia can tolerate heat waves and drought. They might not look good struggling through however they survive to look good another day. For those of us that enjoy our landscapes surviving is not enough we want our plants to look great all summer long. A big part of what we need to do is to irrigate properly. We need to know how our controller operates and how to manage the programming. Sometimes we may need to change the watering  week to week. This week is a good example with record breaking temperatures. Last week the temperatures were in the 50’ & 60’s overnight and 70’s during the day. You did not need to water too much. This week is different and here’s a few ideas on how best to water right now: 

1. Increase the run times for each zone. For example, If you are watering your lawn zones for 30 minutes then increase it to 45 minutes or more. Experts recommend it to apply 1” to 2” of water per week to keep lawns healthy. If you are not sure of the amount being applied, then purchase a rain gauge that will measure for you. 
2. Increase the days of watering. If you are currently watering 1 or 2 days per week then increase to every other day or every day, as necessary. If you live in Nassau County, then you are only allowed to water odd/even days of the month based upon your house number. Additionally, a few water districts, towns, and villages have their own water restrictions. I advise you to check with them before changing your watering program.
3. Water early in the morning. Water anytime between 2am and 9am. Watering in early morning has proven to be most efficient due to minimal evaporation, wind, and best water pressure. 
4. Another method is Cycle & Soak. This requires that you create a second start time or a 2^nd cycle to run after the first cycle is completed. Programming a second cycle allows the water to infiltrate deeper into the soil and into the root zone. This works best with heavy clay soil and minimizes run-off. 
5. On a hot day, initiate a cycle during the day. Yes, I know you are not supposed to water during the middle of the day. It’s very inefficient, however if your lawn and landscape are thirsty then they need to drink. Also, the cool water destresses the plant and keeps the landscape looking good. Golf courses do this all the time. It is called “syringing.” 
6. Another option is to turn zones on manually one at a time. It may be you do not need to run through an entire cycle. If you have one sunny lawn area, then turn on that one zone only. If you use a Hunter Controller, as you face the controller, press the right arrow button to activate a cycle or a zone. Press the right arrow button for 3 seconds and the cycle will begin. Keep pressing the right arrow button to get to the zone (station) you want. The controller will automatically run through each zone, shut off, and resume its normal programming. There are plenty of instructional videos at www.hunterindustries.com and on YouTube.
7. Upgrade your controller to a Smart Controller. This is the best option as the smart controller will automatically increase your watering on hot days. The convenience of having an app on your phone that allows you to see your programming, make changes, and turn your system on from anywhere is a giant leap forward in the irrigation industry. To learn more then please visit: www.hydrawise.com. 

A beautiful landscape is a valuable investment and the cost to maintain a sprinkler system that sustains a healthy landscape is far less expensive than replacing lawn, shrubs, and trees. To learn more please visit our website at www.rainrich.com. To arrange an appointment please call the office at 631-423-2211 or click here. We look forward to serving you!