Smart watering in winter saves water, makes lawn care easier

  • Published
  • By Melody Couch
  • 95th Civil Engineering Directorate
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Setting sprinkler or watering schedules properly not only saves water, it can also lower the amount of labor a lawn requires in winter months.
 
Watering conservatively, along with following a few simple guidelines can help Edwards AFB save water and look beautiful, yard care experts say.
 
The optimal winter watering schedule is three days a week, five minutes on each station between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, said Elizabeth Robertson, contract manger, Ahtna Facility Services, Inc., the housing maintenance contractor. 

Watering later in the day is better to prevent frozen pavement or stress to frozen irrigation lines which could cause breakage, she said.
 
If after trying the schedule, residents feel their lawn needs a little more water than suggested, they should make appropriate and reasonable changes, Robertson said. Over-watering can create runoff, which carries pollutants into the desert and down storm drains. It can also result in standing water that attracts mosquitoes wild animals and other pests. Residents should remember to turn their sprinkler system off when it rains.

Grass height and frequency of mowing also have a significant effect on lawn health. Most residential lawns are seeded with fescue grass, which should be kept at 1-1/2 to 2 inches high during winter months and cut every other week. If a lawn is kept too short, it will have a very shallow root zone that cannot reach the moisture deeper in the soil. This results in a lawn that requires more frequent watering and is more susceptible to heat stress.

A lawn should never be mowed at greater than one-third of the total grass height at one time. Cutting the grass back too much at one time will put it under stress, making it more susceptible to disease and death. Residents should make sure their lawnmower blade is sharp; frayed leaf ends turn brown and lose more water than a clean cut leaf blade. Also, residents should rake their lawn weekly during all seasons. Grass clippings, leaves and debris prevent blades of grass from getting sunshine and should be removed.

It is also important for residents to remember to fertilize their lawn four times a year with a spreader -- early spring, early summer, late summer and late fall. Often, poor-looking lawns are over-watered when all they really need are some extra nutrients.

Following these recommendations will help residents keep their lawns healthy while conserving water. It will also cut electric power costs, and help ensure adequate water pressure to safeguard the hydraulic stability of the entire base water distribution system.
 
Inadequately maintained watering systems can contribute to a large amount of water loss. Please promptly report any water leaks to Housing Maintenance at 258-4461.