Your July Landscape Watering Reminder

NEW Landscape Watering Header

July 2023 Watering Reminder

Citrus Tree Wilting

This is no time to have irrigation problems! We have 110+ temps and low humidity with no monsoon activity in sight. Your plants are on sprinkler or dripper 'life supports' as we get through the next few weeks.

June and early July can be the greatest period for plant water needs. Long days, high temps (day and night), intense sunlight, and low humidity all mean greater water loss from soil and plants. Even plants getting enough water may look stressed as they adjust to the excessive heat.

Once clouds come in and humidity goes up, it might feel hotter to us, but it is easier on plants. As is typical of our summer monsoons, the rainfall can be hit or miss. Learn more below.

Photo: Leaf wilt and curling leaves on this citrus tree are a sure sign of heat and water stress.

Recommendations below are for plants that are established in the landscape (in the ground about two years).


Lawns

  • Warm season grass (Bermuda) - once every 3 days

  • Overseeded cool season grass (rye) - grass dies out

Trees & shrubs on same valve

  • Desert Adapted - once every 14 days
  • High Water Use - once every 7 days

Trees

  • Desert Adapted - once every 16 days
  • High Water Use - once every 8 days

Shrubs, groundcovers & vines

  • Desert Adapted - once every 12 days
  • High Water Use - once every 5 days

Cacti and succulent watering

  • Once every 18-20 days

Annuals & vegetable watering

  • Once every 1-3 days

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.

Conservation Easier Done Than Said

+ + BONUS TIPS + +


Rainwater Harvesting

Rain Chain

Since summer monsoon storms can be localized, shop for a rain gauge if you don't have one, or empty the dust out if you do. 😉

If you get at least 1/2" of rain you can skip an irrigation cycle. If you are not sure how much fell in your yard (and you didn't buy a rain gauge yet), visit rainlog.org or Maricopa County Flood Control Rainfall Map. Turning off controllers during rain events is a great way to save water and help out with the drought.

Don’t miss out on using this clean, salt-free source of water that contains many beneficial ingredients for plants. Check out our resources below for harvesting rainwater from our monsoon storms:


desert willow tree

SRP Shade Tree Workshops

SRP offers a Shade Tree Workshop, then gives you two free trees to plant on your property to help save energy. Trees help to reduce your cooling costs, improve air quality, and cool our communities! The next ONLINE classes are offered on July 22 and Aug. 26. Since summer isn't the best time to plant, there will be a tree pick-up event planned for fall. For SRP electric customers only. Register here.

Photo: Desert Willow

 


Water Bill

High Water Bills? 

Well, if you have a pool, over 2,500 gallons just evaporated! POOF!

Learn more below. Our Know Your H2O Water Calculator is a great tool to help you determine how much water you should be using. After going through the estimates, Mesa customers can request a free water-saving kit with a low-flow WaterSense showerhead, outdoor hose nozzle, and more that will help you save water! If your water use is a lot higher than it should be, check out our High Water Use Action Plan and our Find and Fix Leaks guide.


It's Swimming Pool Season

Swimming pool

Thinking of installing or removing a pool??

There is a great new resource page available developed by water providers in the Tucson area. You can learn about what resources (water, energy, maintenance) it takes to have a pool. There is also advice on pool removal benefits and options to do so. Learn more!


Irrigation drip emitter

How long should you run your irrigation?

Each time you water, be sure to water deeply. About 1 foot for groundcover, 2 feet for shrubs, and 3 feet for trees. How long is that? See our interactive landscape watering guide for a quick and easy way to determine your run times. For example, a 2-foot diameter shrub would need about 4 gallons of water each time you water. If you have a 1-gallon per hour emitter on that shrub, your run time would be 4 hours!


Not so smart irrigation month

Smart Irrigation Month Timely Tips:


Video of the Month: From AZ Plant Lady

AZ Plant Lady Easy Tips to Save Water

Easy Tips to Save Water in the Landscape. In under three minutes, the AZ Plant Lady will provide seven simple tips to make your landscape more water efficient. View Here.


**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.

-H2O-