SAWS: WaterSaver Newsletter

Monday, March 16, 2009

Save Water with Soaker Hoses
By Karen Guz

Soaker hoses are an inexpensive and efficient way to irrigate perennial beds, and newly-planted shrubs and trees.

Soaker hoses are a great way to irrigate perennial beds, and newly-planted shrubs and trees. They are so inexpensive that you can buy several and leave them snaked around throughout your landscape. Connecting more than two soaker hoses is not recommended. The loss of pressure as the hose extends will make it ineffective.

Never connect a soaker hose directly to the hose bib. If you do, you'll waste a lot of water near the connection where the pressure is highest. Instead, run a regular garden hose from the faucet and connect your soaker hose to the end of it. Be sure to use a washer to make a good, leak-free connection between hoses.

It isn't necessary to cover every few feet of your bedding areas with soaker hoses. If the hose is within a few feet of established plants, their root systems will find the water to nourish the plants.

The most common mistake in using soaker hoses is turning the water on too high. We often hear from homeowners surprised by a large water bill because they left a soaker hose on for several hours at full water pressure. It is more effective to turn the hose bib a quarter turn or less. This allows enough water to flow through the hose and slowly seep out into the soil.

Test how long to run the soaker hose by digging down after about 45 minutes to see if the water penetrated at least several inches down. Adjust your run-time to let water seep past mulch and deeply into the soil.

Karen Guz is the conservation director for San Antonio Water System.

Monday, Mar. 16, 2009

0 in.	Bermuda (Full Sun)
0 in.	Buffalo (Full Sun)
0 in.	St. Augustine (Full Sun)
0 in.	St. Augustine (Shade)
0 in.	Zoysia (Full Sun)
0 in.	Zoysia (Shade)

Use these amounts to water this evening after 8 p.m. or tomorrow morning before 10 a.m. For a healthy lawn, water no more than twice a month, or less if you have drought tolerant grass.

Remarks:

No need to water. Reap the benefits from the recent rains. Mark A. Peterson, SAWS Conservation Project Coordinator.

When can I start to water my grass more than once a month?

Depending on the weather, watering turf usually begins around April 1. Most turf grasses are still in dormancy prior to April and watering dormant grass is wasteful.

E-mail your question to GardenGeek@saws.org

Fix a Leak Week

March 16-20

Make savings a fixture during Fix a Leak Week.

U.S. homes waste 1 trillion gallons each year from leaks. You can save precious resources and dollars with simple fixes.
Learn more by visiting
EPA WaterSense

Texas Bluebonnet

Lupinus texensis

Bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas and are usually in full bloom now. They are a reseeding annual so if you have them in your landscape, you will have even more next year. Bluebonnets now come in a variety of colors including blue, white, and even maroon for those Aggie fans!

Redbud

(Cercis Canadensis)

Redbuds are small, heat-tolerant trees that often go unnoticed until spring time. That’s when they boast a profusion of pink blossoms before the leaves arrive on the trees. Texas redbud grows as a deciduous small tree or multi-trunk shrub, achieving a height of about 15 feet to 20 feet.

Toadily Amazing Amphibians

March 21 1 - 3 p.m.
Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Rd.

Learn about the fascinating world of amphibians and how being a Water Saver can help your local frogs and toads. Admission is free, but space is limited. RSVP required. For more information or to RSVP, e-mail mlac@audubon.org.

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Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you! Contact us at conserve@saws.org