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Triple digits are finally here with a chance to hit 110° by Thursday. Humidity levels will stay low (typically below 15 percent) until monsoon season, so 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? Prior to that time, it was determined by three consecutive days of dew points averaging 55°F or higher. Learn more about AZ monsoons, haboobs, downbursts, and gustnadoes at this ASU site. 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.
Learn How to Lessen Your Water Bill with this Lesson
 Your Water. Your Impact. Know, Compare, Save. How much water does your household use compared to how much you should be using? By reading your water bill, and knowing your expected use, you can take control of your water usage.
Our simple water use calculator will help you estimate your optimal water use based on your household, number of occupants, landscape, etc. If your monthly usage is higher than those estimates, we have tips and tricks to help you reduce your use, conserve water, and save money. As a bonus, you can order a water-saving kit and get it mailed directly to your home to provide even more savings. To order yours, just look for the "Request a Water Saving Kit" link at the bottom of the 'Water Calculator Results' page .
Our special Your water. Your impact. page gives you all the steps and links to this very cool water conservation tool.
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Resident's Guide to Water and Money Saving Landscape Incentives for HOAs, Churches and Businesses (Webinar)
June 11, 11 a.m. to Noon. Join us for a 60-minute webinar to learn about the Grass-to-Xeriscape Landscape Incentive offered by the City to HOAs, apartments, businesses, churches, and all other non-residential customers. We will also discuss the qualifying conditions and the availability of incentives for low-water use irrigation equipment. Properties may qualify for up to $70,000. Register today!
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Free Trees Available for Fall Tree Planting
July 13, Aug 1, or Aug 24. SRP customers can attend a webinar this summer so that they can qualify for two free trees in the fall. Registration now open.
Sept. 21. Mesa Electric customers can attend a workshop and pick up their tree the following week. Registration details to come.
Desert-adapted shade trees can lower your cooling costs and improve air quality without using a lot of water.
If you plant a tree record your tree and get it on our tree planting map at our Trees Are Cool page.
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Lawn Watering: No More Than Twice a Week is Needed Even In Summer.
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…
We've handpicked some favorite blogs from Water – Use It Wisely:
Citrus June Drop... It's Normal
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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Monsoon Gardening in the Sonoran Desert (workshop)
June 20, 6-7 p.m. The monsoon is considered our second spring season which offers another chance to grow all of your favorite warm-season crops like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, beans, and more. Presenter, Melissa Kruse-Peeples will discuss traditional O'odham farming strategies and arid adapted crops such as tepary beans, melons, and corn. Mesa Main Library. Free. Learn more.
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Video of the Month: From AZ Plant Lady
 Landscape Watering in the Real World. Are you challenged to water more efficiently because your irrigation system is set up to water trees, shrubs, and groundcovers all on the same valve? Listen to the AZ Plant Lady for ideas on how to make adjustments without having to use a pickaxe and dig a new trench. View Here.
Text Alerts
Would you like the watering frequencies sent to you by text? Simply text WHENTOWATER to 1-844-416-1428 and receive a text message on the first of each month with a link to that month’s unique watering guide. Learn more.
**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.
-H2O-
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