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Water your lawn more effectively and efficiently

By Howard Weiss

Real Estate Agent with Fathom Realty 514924

August 20, 2011 04:16 PM

If your lawn is anything like mine and has a bit of a slope to it, you may see water spilling off the grass and onto the sidewalk or driveway after a period of watering. As dry as it is here in Texas and many other parts of the country right now, my yard tends to still start to repel water after only 6-7 minutes of watering. So here is the tip to make sure you are watering effectively and efficiently.

sprinklers1

If you water, for example, for 15 minutes at each station, split the time in two. Run the entire cycle with each station at 7-8 minutes each. Once the entire cycle is complete, run another cycle with the same station times. So you still run each station at about 15 minutes a piece but you give the soil time to absorb the initial cycle before dumping another 7-8 minutes of water on it. Basically more of the water absorbs into the soil.

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So there’s my green tip of the day…

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Mike McCann Broker - Mach1 Realty

Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Broker-Auctioneer Serving Nebraska - Kearney, NE

ALL Types of Property For Sale 308-627-3700

I hope you guys get some rain down there soon...sound like it is simply hot and dry...

Aug 20, 2011 04:27 PM

Angelia Garcia

Pure Realtors - Dallas, TX

cool. So how do you keep the water bill down? LOL

Aug 20, 2011 04:28 PM

Dennis Burgess

AmeriTeam Property Management - Mid Florida, FL

Orlando Property Manager and Realtor

Hi, Greg: No offense- and please don't take this the wrong way, but I just can't believe you're even allowed to water with sprinkler systems and all during the severe dry spells out your way.

Here, for example, the St. John's Water Management folks set the law as to watering restrictions we must follow. Typically, you cn water 2x a week during wetter parts of the years, 1x week during dryer months. It was those restrictions that actually led to my 1st interaction wth the authorities when I moved here. I got a call from a deputy in front of a place I managed- he was watching the sprinklers going to town on a day when they shouldn't have been on, and I had to high-tail it there to stave off a fine.

In even dryer areas a bit West, though, it's often stricter that that. In Tampa and a good bit of Pasco County, the laws have often been pretty simple: NO watering with sprinkler/irrigation systems, period. Watering with a garden hose by hand- one day a week.

All told, I know folks are hurting in Texas from these dry days most have never seen- but folks in The Lone Star State may count as a blessing of small measure that they can use your good advice at all.

Aug 20, 2011 04:40 PM

Howard Weiss

Fathom Realty - Arlington, TX

Arlington & DFW, TX

Dennis, absolutely no offense taken at all. I'll follow the rules whatever they may be. In our case, here in Arlington, the only restriction is the time of day we can water. We cannot water between 10am and 6pm. Yes there is a drought but it's nothing we were not prepared for so we are not about to run out of water. The restrictions vary by city here in north Texas. In some cities one can only water on certain days, or even once a week, etc. Yes, it's a tough situation but since we go through this every year, at different levels, we are basically as prepared as we can be. So for there to be a restriction in this area that states no sprinkler system watering at all, would be very rare.

Aug 20, 2011 05:07 PM

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate

Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL

Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

Greg, my friend owns a large acreage tract in the "Hill Country" of Texas.

He says that the vegetation is suffering, and the wildlife is in trouble.

Pray for Rain!

Aug 20, 2011 06:52 PM