Watering Advice To Help You Meet Bonus Requirements:
Water Use For Grass Areas:
The landscape rebate program allows grass to comprise
up to half of the total landscape area. The grass in your landscape
must be a drought tolerant choice such as Bermuda, zoysia or Buffalo.
One of the reasons for encouraging drought tolerant grasses is that
it is then possible to allow part or all of your lawn to go dormant
during the hottest months of the year. Drought tolerant grass will
turn a beautiful green again when rain and cooler weather comes in
fall and spring months.
The water budget we will calculate each month will assume that you water
only high priority areas of your grass in amounts that will keep it green.
We will assume that the remainder of the grass receives some water, but
is allowed to take advantage of summer dormancy. Areas you might choose
to allow to go dormant could be the side of the house or a backyard area
that is not used often.
For advice on how much water to use on the areas of the grass that
you may want to keep green, try the Seasonal
Irrigation Program (SIP). The SIP Program calculates
the water need of your grass each week. We provide free weekly
e-mails to let you know if your grass needs
water and how much to use if it does. The SIP Program will give
advice to keep grass reasonably green. For the areas you allow
to go somewhat dormant, cut the recommended amount in half or
water only once every other week.
If you have an irrigation system you must sign-up for SIP to be eligible to receive the initial $100 gift certificate or any future bonus rebate.
Water Use for Xeriscape Bedding Areas:
Xeriscape plants that are native or well-adapted
for San Antonio need very little water to survive. However, some supplemental
watering will help keep blooming plants active and attractive during
periods without rain. A deep watering by hand or with a soaker hose
or drip system about once per month is much more effective than infrequent,
shallow watering.
The best way to water established* water saver plants efficiently is to
water by hand or to use soaker hoses buried under mulch or drip irrigation
lines under mulch. Soaker hoses are inexpensive and simple to use. They
are so low cost, that it is best to install them in each bed and leaving
them in place. Do not connect more soaker hoses in a single line more
than recommended manufacture instructions (usually no more than 100 feet).
If your soaker lines spring a leak by cracking or getting holes, replace
them to avoid water waste. Remember to keep water pressure low on the
soaker hoses by turning your hose bib nozzle only one quarter turn. The
water should slowly weep out of the hose and slowly penetrate the soil.
To find out how long to run your soaker hoses, dig down in the soil every
20 minutes or so the first time you use them. When the water has penetrated
down to four inches deep, turn them off.
Water Use For Foundation Plantings Such As Shrubs:
Shrubs on the list of water saving plants use very little water once they
are established*. At most these plants should require a deep soaking with
a drip system or soaker hose once per month. If you have received an inch
or more of rain in a month, no supplemental water should be necessary
for these plants.
*If your shrubs were planted during the winter or fall, they should be
quite well established by the time hotter weather comes. If you planted
them in the summer, water them by hand for the first few weeks before
changing to water by drip system or soaker hose. This will give their
root systems time to reach out to water sources.
Water Use For Trees:
Well-adapted or native trees that were in the ground prior to building
your home should need no supplemental irrigation. They survived on natural
rainfall before you came to the site and should continue to now. If your
trees are newly planted they may need periodic water for the first year
they are in the ground. Trees will grow faster and need less water if
you mulch generously (four to six inches deep) several feet out from the
trunk. Do not place mulch up around the trunk of the tree.
If you have received an inch of rain in a month, no supplemental water
should be necessary for your native or well-adapted trees. For hot months
when there is no rain, use a soaker hose laid around the tree under the “drip
line” of the tree. This is the outermost canopy area of the tree
and where the most active roots are growing. Run your soaker hose to weep
slowly in this area for as much time as it takes for water to penetrate
four to six inches the into the soil.
*Established plants are ones that have been in the ground for a month or
more. New plants have limited root systems and must be watered by hand
to survive until their root system extends to reach available water.
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