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Getting Your Irrigation System and Water Features Ready for Winter

Written by csDevTeam on . Posted in Irrigation Systems, Water Features.

With the winter season approaching, now is a good time to start preparing your irrigation pipes for colder weather and freezing temperatures.

Due to our ever-changing weather patterns and often drastic fluctuations in the temperature, you need to winterize your water pipes and water features to avoid them from freezing up. A frozen water pipe can often swell and burst, causing a lot of inconveniences, time, and money. For a small investment, you can prevent this from happening.

If you have a drip irrigation system installed in your yard, Santa Rita Landscaping recommends that you insulate the valve, brass anti-siphon, Y filter and pipe above ground, in order to ensure the proper operation of your system.

This can be done by wrapping the insulation on the main water supply pipe and anti-siphon. You can purchase an Insulation Bag to cover the anti-syphon, from local irrigation suppliers. If you have a valve that is located underground, it is usually protected; however, to be safe, you may want to lay a piece of insulation in the box on top of your valves to better help insulate them.

If not completely drained, keep your fountains and water features running during times during low temps including those below 32 degrees. The pipe or flexible poly tubing after the valve is generally protected from freeze as this pipe is installed after the valve and only has water in it while the system is running. When the water is running, it is less likely to freeze.

NOW IS THE TIME TO FERTILIZE AND CLEAN YOUR IRRIGATION FILTER

Written by csDevTeam on . Posted in Fertilizing Trees, Irrigation Systems, Landscaping.

April is a great time of year to clean your irrigation filter and reset your irrigation controller for the summer. Your landscape will require springtime maintenance to prepare for the hot Tucson summer days ahead.  We suggest the following preparation tips:

How TO CLEAN YOUR IRRIGATION FILTER

An irrigation system helps keep the shrubs hydrated even with high temps on them keeping them green and lush all year.  First, shut off the water. Then you need to remove and clean the filter which is located in your irrigation valve box so that your system stays clog-free.  Next, unscrew the cap and remove the screen filter. Clean any tough deposits by scrubbing the filter with an old toothbrush, then replace the filter and hand tighten the cap.

TIPS FOR WATERING YOUR PLANTS DURING THE SEASONS

Below is a suggested watering schedule for your irrigation system that you can use as a guide.  Watch your plants carefully anytime you change your watering schedule because your watering schedule will vary depending on the weather, soil, maturity of plants, type of plants, and season.

 

Newly Installed Plants (First  3 Months)

Every other day for 2 to 2.5 hours

First Year – Summer (beginning April 15)

Every other day for 2.5 hours

First Year – Winter (beginning October 15)

Every other day for 1.5 hours

Second Year – Winter

Every third day for 2.5 hours

Second Year – Summer **

Every Third day for 3 – 4 hours

Established Plants – Winter  **

Once per week for 3 – 6 hours

Established Plants – Summer  **

Once per week for 3 – 6 hours

**Take caution when using these settings, in some soil conditions, plants may stress between waterings or some soil will not accept 4 hours of water at one time, multiple start times may be needed.

 

Santa Rita Landscaping can help you get your irrigation system and other landscaped features on your property ready for summer. Call us today at (520) 623-0421 for more information.

Fall is in the Air- Time to Change Watering Schedule

Written by csDevTeam on . Posted in Blog.

Just as we can feel a change in the air, so can our plants.  And they need us to take care of them. Now that the seasons are changing, we need to adjust the water for them and make sure that they do not get overwatered.

October 15th  has approached –  the start of what Santa Rita Landscaping refers to as the “Winter Season” here in Arizona.  With the sun a little less harsh and with more coolness in the air, we do not want to overwater our plants.  The drip irrigation system in use in your yard does a wonderful job at giving them a very deep watering that you can regulate to help keep them beautiful and smoothly adapting to the changing weather.

Below is a suggested watering schedule to use as a guide. However, use it only as a guide because your watering schedule will vary depending on the weather, the soil, the types of plants that you have, and their maturity.  Be sure to keep a careful eye on your plants any time you change their watering schedule.

For the Winter Season starting October 15th:

Plants in their First Year

Water every other day for 1.5 hours

Plants in their Second Year

Water every third day for 2.5 hours

Established Plants

Water once per week for 3-6 hours

  • Take caution when using these settings. In some soil conditions plants may become too stressed between watering times. In other instances, some soil may not be able to accept 4 hours of water at one time. If so, multiple start times may be needed.

 

The natural beauty of plants adds greatly to the beauty of our homes and environments. Just like your home, your landscaping is an investment and adjusting the watering schedule is one way to help protect your investment in the winter. This is just a general guide on how to adjust the water for your plants. Be sure to keep an eye on each plant to see how it is doing. If you ever have any questions about watering and maintaining your landscape, feel free to contact us at Santa Rita Landscaping.

Tired of changing your irrigation controller? Contact us for more information on converting your existing controller to a Smart Controller. Smart Controllers have weather sensors that measure rainfall and temperature and will automatically adjust itself seasonally. You should also see a lower water bill.