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There is still no relief from the relentless heat and we are well below normal for our monsoon rainfall. Remember that September 30th is the ‘official’ end of the monsoon season, so there’s still hope for more summer rains. Eventually, as the days get shorter and the temperatures cool, it will be time to reduce your watering frequency from your summer schedule.
September is when activities BEGIN for seeding winter rye grass. Remember that saving every drop is critical as we experience drought conditions and climate pressures like hotter and drier conditions.
We encourage all water customers to consider limiting or forgoing this practice. If areas are justifiably required, we suggest not overseeding until October - a much better time to do so. Find details in Bonus Tips below.
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Recommendations below are for plants that are established in the landscape (in the ground about two years).
- Desert Adapted - once every 18 days
- High Water Use - once every 9 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 21 days
- High Water Use - once every 10 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 16 days
- High Water Use - once every 7 days
Cacti and succulent watering
Annuals & vegetable watering
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.
HOT OFF THE PRESS. Plants Book Newly Update!
Exciting news! A refreshed and updated version of the Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert book is now available. This user-friendly guide is your key to saving water and money by incorporating desert-appropriate, drought-tolerant plants into your yard. The newly released edition features 218 plants conveniently categorized for easy browsing. Each section—trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vines, cacti, succulents and accents, grasses, perennials, and annuals—showcases a variety of plant options to cater to differing tastes. Learn more about the book's new features.
Affectionately known as 'The Pink Book', the guide was first printed in 1990 followed by the 2nd edition in 2004. Read our September Sustainability Savings Tip for the Mesa locations where you can pick up a free copy.
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Water – Plant It Wisely, Fall Edition
Fall is such a great time to plant. That's why we worked with our partners at Water – Use It Wisely to create a special micro-site to help you find our favorite pages all in one place. We showcase low-water use plants, design ideas, how to plant, desert landscaping, and helpful resources, including fall plant sales.
Be sure to visit Water – Plant It Wisely, and dig in!
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Winter Ryegrass: To Overseed or Not to Overseed?
Choosing not to overseed Bermuda with winter rye saves water and allows your summer lawn to rest – making it stronger for new spring growth. If you need more help to decide, find our Top Ten Reasons Not to Plant a Winter Lawn. These might just be the excuses (or uh... justifications) you were looking for.
Gasp! Are you going to plant winter grass anyway? This AMWUA blog features advice from turf grass researchers at the University of Arizona’s Maricopa County Cooperative Extension: Plant Winter Grass Correctly.
You can save 8,000 gallons a year for every 1,000 sq. ft. of grass by not overseeding.
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Mesa Encourages Residents to Take Advantage of Water-Saving Fall Planting Resources
 Check out all the programs we offer to help you save water in your landscape in our latest Mesa news story. Residential customers can qualify for up to $1,100 for grass removal, and HOA/Commercial customers could be approved for up to $70,000 for grass removal and irrigation upgrades (future projects only).
To help with tree care, plant selection, and program information, we invite you to meet our new Urban Forest Program Manager and water conservation staff at a free pop-up event at one of two Mesa plant nurseries:
- Saturday, Oct. 5, from 8-11 a.m. at Treeland Nurseries, 2900 S Country Club Dr.
- Friday, Oct. 18, from 8-11 a.m. at SummerWinds Nursery, 3160 S Country Club Dr.
How Long Should You Run Your Irrigation?
Each time you water, be sure to water deeply. About 1 foot for groundcovers, 2 feet for shrubs and 3 feet for trees. How long is that? See our landscape watering guide for a quick and easy way to determine your run times.
For example, a 10-foot diameter tree would need about 59 gallons each time you water (chart is located on page 9 of the guide). If you have three 2-gallon per hour emitters on that tree, your run time would be 10 hours! Yikes! That’s OK if your clock allows, but you can drop your run time by adding emitters or replacing your three 2 gallon per hour emitters with 4 gallon per hour emitters (3x4=12 gallons per hour, 59/12 = a 5-hour run time). It’s just a little math! Oh, and just to put into perspective, you will get 59 gallons from a running water hose in 5-6 minutes. Don't forget that drip irrigation is just that... a very slow application of water.
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Plants to Admire!
This Desert Willow located at Red Mountain Library can take the heat! Learn more about this colorful shade tree and consider including it in your landscape.
**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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