GARDENING: Point your water the right way to save

Water is an on-going concern and we should be in an on-going state of adjustment make the most of our water and our landscapes. One way to adjust is to improve on irrigation.

There are a number of ways to improve irrigation efficiency. One way is to give your irrigation system a tune-up. Just like your care needs a tune up, so it is with your irrigation system. Over time valves become faulty, heads misaligned, plugged, damaged and blocked by plants, underground pipes develop leaks and the list goes on. Besides saving water, an irrigation system evaluation that covers proper management, maintenance and renovations can improve plant growth and performance. Less water running down the curb and more going to the effective root zone of plants. By the way, there’s nothing wrong with dragging a hose...it is just as efficient (maybe more so) as an irrigation system.

Since we are on the topic, be sure to change your controller times to meet the seasonal water needs of plants. We can freely water two times a week...but should we? Most plants are dormant and we’ve had good winter precipitation and the soil is moist. If you are continuing to water two times a week...you are most likely wasting water and putting some plants at risk of root rot or weakening.

Be sure to match your irrigation run times to exposure. A shady or northern exposure may only need half the water a sunny landscape. A south or west facing slope may require two times as much water as a level landscape area that is in full sun. It’s all in the angle and exposure. Speaking of slopes, try applying water to a slope in multiple increments to prevent run off. This“cycling” method is a great way to reduce water runoff from slopes as well as clay soils, hard, compacted soil or the dry edges of the lawn or landscape.

Consider drip irrigation for your landscape beds and gardens. Well designed, properly managed drip irrigation systems have about 90% efficiency whereas well designed and managed sprinkler irrigation is about 70% efficient...and in our hot, dry, windy, environment...that number probably goes down. There are many benefits to drip irrigation such as the dramatic reduction of water drift and evaporation. Since water drips on the ground it doesn’t get on brick, windows, driveways, cars and leaves. Drip irrigation lines can be covered with mulch to extend their longevity and further reduce evaporation of water from the soil.

There are improved methods, materials and techniques that you can learn and utilize to get the most stretch out of your water.

Efficient irrigation is essential, but there’s still many other areas of maintaining a beautiful landscape in difficult conditions. Join us for more next week.


LOVE YOUR LANDSCAPE

• When: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 14.
• Where: Sibley Nature Center, 1307 E. Wadley Ave., Midland.
• Provided by: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Permian Basin Master Gardeners, Keep Odessa Beautiful and Keep Midland Beautiful.
• Speaker: Dotty Woodson, extension water resource specialist, will teach you how to conserve and best utilize landscape water through improved irrigation efficiency. Woodson will demonstrate how to convert existing landscape irrigation systems to more efficient units, as well as many other useful methods of stretching our water for healthy landscapes.
• TreeKeepers of Midland will also be present to provide information on how to help valuable trees survive the drought and water restrictions.
• Call: 432-498-4071.