Landscape Watering Reminder - May
Wednesday's unusual May thunderstorm brought up to
3/4-inch of rain to some areas, but most only saw a few
tenths. Just when we were understanding what a
"microburst" is, the National Weather Service mentioned
that the whirling tornado-like winds were "gustnadoes" -
just a stronger version of our dust devils.
Learn more.
May through October is considered our summer season.
Temperatures will continue to rise, and Bermuda grass
and many landscape plants will look a little stressed as
they transition into the warmer season.
Note: These recommendations are a general guideline
only and may need to be modified for your specific site
conditions.
RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations are for plants that are established in
the landscape (in the ground about 2 years).
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Gustnados are more like our summer dust devils (seen
above) rather than a tornado. Photo courtesy of NASA.
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Lawn watering:
Summer grass (Bermuda) - once every 4-5 days
Overseeded cool season grass (rye)-once every 3 days
If trees and shrubs are on the same valve:
Desert Adapted - once every 17 days
High Water Use - once every 8 days
Tree watering:
Desert Adapted -once every 20 days
High Water Use - once every 10 days
Shrub watering:
Desert Adapted - once every 14 days
High Water Use - once every 6 days
Groundcover and vine watering:
Desert Adapted - once every 14 days
High Water Use - once every 6 days
Cacti and succulent watering - once every 24
days
Annuals watering - once every 3-4 days
Wildflower watering - once every 5-7 days
Reduce your landscape watering 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 Web version or request a free copy of the booklet at
www.wateruseitwisely.com/arizona.
Bonus tips
- Don't miss the Grand Opening of Fire
Station 219 on May 21 at 10 a.m. This is Mesa's
first LEED constructed building. Located at 3361 S. Signal
Butte Road, the station features water and energy saving
measures, including a Xeriscape landscape.
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Rotating
stream sprinkler heads apply water much more
efficiently and are paricularly good for slopes to reduce
runoff. Learn more about this new technology at the
Water Use It Wisely blog.
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Just because Arbor Day has
passed, doesn't mean you stop taking care of your trees.
Find resources on planting, pruning, selecting a tree care
professional and more
online.
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Have you ever performed the
sprinkler can test for your lawn sprinklers? If not, it's a
lot of fun and the results will tell you just how long you
need to water each time you irrigate. Find instructions on
page 5 of
Landscape Watering by the Numbers.
Receive our watering
reminder each month at your inbox! To register for monthly watering reminder emails, visit
www.Mesaaz.gov and click on
Email Alerts located in the
right navigation bar. Choose Landscape Watering Reminder, and
follow the registration instructions. You can remove your name
from the list at any time.
For more information about Mesa's water conservation
programs.
-H20-