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The heat is on! We'll be hitting over 100 degrees for the next 5-6 days, and are likely to get into the 110's by mid month. As plants are adjusting to higher temperatures, and the low humidity we get this time of year (below 10%), be sure to water deeply at each irrigation for optimal efficiency and plant health. Are you seeing fruit drop on your citrus? Learn more below.
Monsoon Season: Did you know that starting in 2008, the National Weather Service defined our monsoon season to begin June 15 and end September 30? If you didn’t live here prior to 2008, you missed the methodical but quirky way we used to determine the start of the season. Learn more at AZ monsoon trivia. The point is, that you should be ready for wind, dust, and power outages... and let's hope for some noteworthy rainfall.
Recommendations below are for plants that are established in the landscape (in the ground about two years).
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- Desert Adapted - once every 14 days
- High Water Use - once every 7 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 16 days
- High Water Use - once every 8 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 12 days
- High Water Use - once every 5 days
Cacti and succulent watering
Annuals & vegetable watering
Wildflower watering
- spring wildflowers die out, go to seed and may be pulled
Note: These recommendations are a general guideline only and may need to be modified for your specific site conditions.
Landscape Watering by the Numbers Don’t forget our online, interactive watering guide. If you input some simple information about your landscape irrigation system, it will tell you how long to water to give your plants just the right amount with these frequencies.
Citrus June Drop
It is a normal occurrence this time of year and is a natural thinning process. Learn about this and see other great pics in a U of A publication, Diagnosing Home Citrus Problems. If your leaves look healthy, the fruit drop is not likely caused by lack of water.
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AZ Gardening 101: Summer in the Desert is the perfect time to delve into virtual landscape learning.
We're partnering with Mesa Red Mountain Library to bring you this Zoom series:
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June 16, 12-1 p.m. Secrets of Summer Watering and Maintenance. We’ll talk about the mysteries of landscape watering, and will provide the best tips, tricks, and advice to get your plants through our hot summer months.
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July 14, 12-1 p.m. Landscaping with Style in the AZ Desert. Learn about the seven common-sense design principles needed to help you create a sense of place, attract birds and butterflies, and be water-efficient all at the same time.
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August 18, 12-1 p.m. Plants to Provide Shade, Color, and Wildlife. Are you looking for a landscape that will provide a shady retreat, year-round color, or that will attract butterflies? We'll share our list of well adapted plants for a beautiful landscape.
Note that the July & August programs will be on the Mesa Library calendar soon for registration.
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Lawn Watering: If you're watering every day, you're watering too much!
Our watering recommendations are based on science from the University of Arizona. It is healthier for grass if you apply .75 inch (3/4 inch) of water each time you irrigate to wet the root zone to a depth of about 8 inches. This encourages roots to go deeper into the soil where they are better protected from hot, dry winds.
With this amount of water, your grass will only need watering once every 3 days in the hottest part of summer, and less often as we get into the fall months. How do you know if you're applying 3/4" of water? I thought you'd never ask! See pages 7 & 8 of our watering guide. Once you've found your run time for your specific system, you only need to change your frequency of watering through the year.
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Great Water-Saving Ideas are wading at your fingertips…
I've handpicked some of our latest news from Water – Use It Wisely:
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High Water Bills?
Be sure to try our easy Know Your H2O Water Calculator to help you determine how much water you should be using. After going through the estimates, you can request a free water-saving kit with a low-flow WaterSense showerhead, outdoor hose nozzle, and more that will help you save water!
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Ready to Switch from Grass to a Colorful, Easy-Care Xeriscape?
 Consider a Landscape Conversion! Summer is the best time to remove your grass and we have $500+ to help you do it. See if you qualify.
**Reduce your landscape water use 30 to 50 percent by adjusting your irrigation each season.** Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert will help you determine how much water to apply and how long to run your system. Visit the interactive website or request a free copy of the booklet.
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