 Pulaski County
Water Conservation
Smart Lawn Irrigation
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40 seconds)
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Audio/Video Script:
Mark Brown
Pulaski County County Extension Agent - Water Conservation
[Mark Brown] [U of A University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Smart
Lawn Irrigation]
With the summer months and the hot weather in full swing it's time to start
watering your lawn. There are many ways that homeowners, businesses, and
property managers can save money this summer season on their water bills.
[Pictures of a sprinklers and a person watering the lawn with a water hose]
During the summer months outdoor watering accounts for 60-70% of all water used
in a household. Water managers can maximize their irrigation efforts by knowing
when to water their grass and how much to water.
[Picture of a lawn] Warm season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia will start to
turn a bluish-purple color when it is starting to go through drought stress.
[Picture of a lawn with a foot print] You can also step on the grass. If the
turf stays depressed and shows the footprint that is a sign that it is ready to
be watered. [Picture of a browning lawn] Remember to let your grass tell you
when to water, not the other way around.
[Illustration showing sunrise to sunset with scale for best watering times]
Now that you have established that your grass needs water, the best time to
water is in the morning when the temperatures and wind are the lowest. Avoid the
peak water demand times of the day between 5:30 – 7:30 am. Set your timer to
water sunny areas at 4:30 am and shady areas of your yard at 8 am. Avoid mid-day
watering because water is lost to evaporation. Also avoid watering in the
evening hours as leaves will stay wet during the overnight, this can increase
the chance of having disease problems.
[Illustration showing water going into a lawn root system] When watering,
always set run times to run infrequently and deep. Deep watering encourages deep
root growth and helps establish a healthy root system. [Slide - picture of a
lawn being water. Warm season grasses - 1 - 1.25 inches; Watering per week 1 -2
sessions] Warm season grasses only need 1 – 1¼ inches of water per week with
irrigation systems; that means they only need to run 1-2 times a week. [Pictures
showing water runoff into the street and drains] Anything more than 2 times a
week can saturate the soil and weaken the turf. Break run times into half to
avoid runoff; allow water to soak into the soil before applying more. [Picture
of a rain detector mounted on the side of a house] Be sure to install a rain
shut off device to detect rainfall on your irrigation system controller.
[Picture of a sprinkler running during a rain] And always keep up with the new
technology that can help your sprinkler system to become more efficient.
[Mark Brown] By practicing these outdoor watering tips you can keep a
healthy, beautiful turf and save money on your water bills this summer season.
[Narrator] To learn more, contact your county extension agent and follow
the links in this section. [U of A University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture, various pictures of people]
Related Link
Back to Outdoor Water Efficiency Program
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