Now that the weather is beginning to warm up and the landscape is turning green it may be a good time to start watering. The lawn, shrubs, flowers, and trees are all starting to bloom and grow and they need water. Normally, in the month of May, there is sufficient rainfall and you only need to supplement with irrigation once or twice a week. To begin watering please turn the dial on your controller from “OFF” to “RUN”. Make sure your rain sensor is switched to “ACTIVE”. Typically your lawn and landscape only requires 30% – 40% of the watering that is required for July and August. If your controller has a water budget feature you can reduce your watering by lowering the seasonal adjust dial until the display shows either the percentage or 3 to 4 bars. As we move closer to summer and the temperatures go up you can gradually increase the frequency (days of watering) and the percentage of watering. The goal is to replace the amount of water lost due to evaporation and plant transpiration with irrigation. It can be a bit tricky and still doable. Overwatering can cause a number of problems especially on north shore properties that have heavy clay soils. Water management is key to a healthy landscape. If you are not sure on how to use your controller then please google or you tube your manufacturer for controller instructions. Every manufacturer has instructional videos on all aspects of programming. If you are interested in a upgrading to better manage your irrigation system then consider a smart controller. At this time I like the Hunter Hydrawise Smart Controller and you can learn more by clicking here.  If you have not turned your sprinkler system on then please call 631-423-2211 or click here to arrange a convenient appointment.