🎆🎆Happy Fourth of July! 🎆🎆

While you're celebrating with family and friends, your landscape is entering one of its toughest times of the year. Expect a string of 110°+ days ahead, making this no time for irrigation problems. Your trees, shrubs, and flowers are officially on sprinkler or drip system life support as we push through the hottest stretch of the summer.

June and early July are when plants need water the most. Long days, high daytime and nighttime temperatures, and intense sunlight all contribute to rapid moisture loss from both soil and plants. Even well-watered landscapes may show signs of stress as they work to adapt to the extreme heat.

Higher dewpoints, and a bump in humidity may feel hotter to us – but they actually help plants by reducing water loss. Still, as with most monsoon seasons, rainfall remains unpredictable and hit-or-miss (learn more below).

Your plants are counting on you to get them through the summer! 

As we celebrate our nation's independence, it's also a good reminder that Arizona's water future depends on the choices we make every day. 🌵

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).

Whether you're a homeowner, landscape professional, or simply want healthier plants and lower water bills, this practical guide takes the guesswork out of irrigation. Inside you'll find quick-reference guides, pro tips, troubleshooting advice, and step-by-step instructions to help you water wisely with confidence.

📖 Learn more in our latest Water - Use It Wisely blog.

📬 Order your free copy from our publications request page.

August 27, Mastering Irrigation in the Desert Join me for a personal introduction to the newly updated Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert. Learn how to take the guesswork out of watering with simple, science-based techniques that help you grow healthier plants, save water, and lower your water bill.

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:

• Find our sustainability tip on rainwater collection
• Visit our Water Harvesting page! Whether you want to naturally channel rainwater to your plants or use a barrel or cistern for storage, we’ve collected all of the best local resources for you.
• Learn more about Rainlog and how you can add your rain totals to the map!

Something Fun! Monsoon Melodies

Monsoons are music to our ears! That's why our Water – Use It Wisely outreach campaign curated a special playlist on Spotify of rain-themed songs. Yes, it's still a bit dry outside, but the playlist includes classics like I Wish It Would Rain by the Temptations and No Rain by Blind Melon. Check it out and get in the rainy day spirit!

July 23, August 29, or September 26. SRP customers can attend a webinar this summer so that they can qualify for two free trees in the fall. Registration now open.

Why?

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 to get it onto our planting map on our Trees Are Cool page.

Photo: Desert Willow

Desert-adapted plants are remarkably resilient, but they still need the right care during Arizona's hottest months. Learn about five common mistakes homeowners make in summer – and how to avoid them.

Hint from photo - over thinning your trees does more harm than good.

Desert Senna – The Plant that Rattles Meet this
colorful desert native perennial that supports birds, bees, and butterflies while thriving in Arizona’s desert climate. Learn growing tips and how collecting and planting its seeds can help create more pollinator-friendly landscapes.

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 online landscape watering guide for a quick and easy way to determine your run times. For example, a 2-foot-diameter shrub needs about 4 gallons of water each time you irrigate. If it's watered with a 1-gallon-per-hour emitter, you'll need to run it for 4 hours to apply the correct amount.

• Drain or backwash your pool while protecting the environment. Learn more.
• Check out our Water Saving Tips to Keep the Splash in Your Pool.
• Our Best Water – Use It Wisely Swimming Pool Resources

July is SMART Irrigation Month. Celebrate by making every drop count. Learn how to fix common irrigation problems in our Water – Use It Wisely blog.

To support the effort, SRP is offering generous discounts on smart irrigation controllers and other water-saving products. Here are the details:

📅 Thursday, July 9, Noon to 1 p.m. SRP Water Conservation Expo (virtual) Attend this free webinar to learn more and access special discounts on irrigation controllers and other irrigation products.

🌩️ We're sharing some of our favorite irrigation and monsoon resources:

• Water deeply but infrequently – what does that mean? Learn how deep watering encourages healthier, more resilient roots.
• Discover how to prepare for monsoon season with 5 landscape tips.
• Find ways to save your trees from monsoon damage.
• Learn about monsoon vegetable gardening.
• In less than two minutes, learn how to build your own rain barrel.