As days become shorter and cooler, water needs for plants are about half as much as they were in June. If you haven’t adjusted your clock in a while, now is the time to do so. Check out these step-by-step instructions to reprogram your timer to the watering schedule suggested below. If you have a SMART controller, it should take care of this for you.
Fall is such a great time to plant. Our bonus tips below include our one-stop fall planting resource site.
Recommendations below are for plants that are established in the landscape (in the ground about two years).
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Warm season grass (Bermuda) - once every 6-8 days
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Overseeded cool season grass (rye) - 4x per day for 1st 7 to 10 days to germinate, then once every 3 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 21 days
- High Water Use - once every 10 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 24 days
- High Water Use - once every 12 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 18 days
- High Water Use - once every 9 days
Cacti and succulent watering
Annuals & vegetable watering
- Once every 3-5 days (or more if you are starting seeds)
Wildflower watering
- Once every 1-2 days to germinate, then once every 7-10 days
Note: These recommendations are a general guideline only and may need to be modified for your specific site conditions. Our current weather conditions may require more frequent watering.
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.
Dig In: Fall Is the Best Time to Plant
Fall is a fantastic time to plant because soil temperatures are still warm - encouraging root growth and development - while allowing plants to get better established before next summer’s heat. Also, with cooler temperatures, plants need less water and it is a much more forgiving time of year to put new plants in the ground. It’s also the time of year to plant a vegetable garden or wildflower seeds. We've got all the ideas and tips you need to get your yard looking beautiful in our monthly Sustainability Savings Tip.
Are you thinking of overseeding your Bermuda grass? Check out our “Top Ten Reasons Not to Plant a Winter Lawn.”
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Water - Plant It Wisely Fall Microsite!
Want to create a landscape that is beautiful and sustainable? Water - Use It Wisely has the ultimate Arizona Fall landscaping and planting microsite.
At Water - Plant It Wisely find:
- How to plant now for spring wildflower bloom.
- Designing for wildlife.
- How to harvest rainwater for your landscape.
- Steps to design and sample landscape ideas.
- Our best fall water-saving landscape tips.
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Brown Leaves on Yellow Bells or Orange Bells?
The generous summer monsoon rains increased many of our butterfly and moth populations. Unfortunately, one of those is a pesky caterpillar (moth) called the Tecoma Leaf-Tier that has a special appetite for yellow and orange bells. If you plants started turning brown a few weeks ago, it's not a watering problem. The caterpillar rolls the leaves and is usually found encased in silk. Trim off damaged stems or just wait as the injury is temporary and most plants are already leafing out and recovering. Learn more.
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Adjusting Watering Frequency for Plant Type:
Different plant types (or species) will need different amounts of water to stay healthy. You will notice that our watering guidelines provides a distinction between desert-adapted and high water-use plants. A desert-adapted plant can go much longer between waterings than a high water-use plant. Examples of high-water-use plants include citrus, hibiscus, and roses. Desert-adapted plants include palo verdes, Texas sages, and penstemons.
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Keep in mind that a Texas sage and hibiscus of the same size will need the same amount of water each time you water to wet the root ball. It's the frequency of watering that is different. If you have both types of plants on the same valve, you will always have to water for the most water-thirsty one. That likely means that your other plants are getting more water than needed.
Find more tips like these in our online watering guide, click on the TIPS link at the bottom.
Wildflowers need to be seeded in the fall for spring bloom. This spring backyard display is thanks to California poppy and purple owl's clover. Learn more.
Help Shape Mesa’s Future!
Join us to learn more about Mesa’s newly formed Climate Action Plan and its six focus areas: Energy, Heat Mitigation, Air Quality, Water Stewardship, Materials Management, and Food Systems and give us your feedback. Each Wednesday, from October 13 – November 17, the City of Mesa will host a virtual lunchtime workshop that includes a brief overview of the Climate Action Plan and its goals, a short presentation from a topic expert on one of the focus areas, and an opportunity to participate in an open discussion to share your ideas and to identify community needs and priorities.
Register for one or all six of the virtual sessions.
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**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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