General Tips

Less is More - More harm is caused to our plants and grass from over-watering than from under-watering. When setting up your schedule, be conservative to start and add another cycle if plants begin to look stressed.

Losing its Spring - Grass signals that it needs water by losing its spring; when you walk across the lawn and see your footprints, your lawn probably needs to be watered. You may also see the color change to a bluish shade of green.

Mow it high. Set your mower to the highest settings recommended for your turf type.  There are several reasons not to cut your grass too short:

  1. Keeping grass longer allows it greater surface area to carry out photosynthesis, which in turn results in healthier grass.

  2. The longer the blade length, the deeper the roots. And conversely, turf mown very low has shallow roots.

  3. Taller grass grows slower than shorter grass. By mowing higher, you can eliminate up to 20 percent of the mowing you do annually—an average savings of about eight hours a year, not to mention the savings of gasoline and wear on equipment.

  4. By keeping your grass at the upper end of its recommended mowing height, you can prevent most weed seeds from germinating, and thereby eliminate the need for herbicides.

Take Control - Weather-based irrigation controllers are a great way to automate seasonal irrigation adjustments. Some of these controllers can be added onto existing systems. Rebates for specified devices are available through our partnership with Central Utah Water Conservancy District. Visit http://www.cuwcd.com/rebates/index.htm for more information. 

Water by degrees. In the Salt Lake City area, the months of September through November may seem warm, but shortening day lengths and cooler night temperatures means turf grass and other plants need less water. Decrease watering frequencies for turf to once every 7 to 14 days; check the Sample Irrigation Schedule for watering needs of other plants. Turf doesn’t need watering in November. Shut down your irrigation system properly to avoid freezing pipes and future leaks.

Next - Watering Device Types