Late April showers brought much relief to many parched landscapes in and around San Antonio. But the hot and dry weather conditions (thanks, La Niña) are expected to dominate this summer. Stage 2 watering rules remain in effect. That means watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose is allowed only between 7-11 a.m.… Continue Reading Make Sure Your Landscape Can Take the Heat
Shorter days are on the way, temperatures are cooling down, and your landscape is preparing for its long winter’s nap. That means it doesn’t absorb as much water and soil evaporation drops significantly. Autumn is the ideal time to stop widespread watering — especially with your irrigation system. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Cut run… Continue Reading Fall Back on Watering
Summer scorch is settling in and your once-lush emerald turf is sweltering. Before you run your irrigation system extra days and times, remember this: too much outdoor watering will soak your water bill. The average irrigation system uses 2,000 gallons every time it runs. That may not sound like a lot. But with tiered pricing,… Continue Reading Don’t Get Soaked by Summer Watering
Running irrigation systems just one time per week doubles the typical home water bill. Early summer rains have dried up and people may feel the need to turn on their irrigation systems, but doing so will lead to higher bills than expected. In 2019 when summer rains suddenly dried up, some customers experienced sticker shock… Continue Reading Hot Weather Watering Habits Can Blow Up Your SAWS Bill
In typical Texas-weather fashion, the rains came and stayed awhile — quenching (and drenching) San Antonio’s parched landscapes and bringing an end to Stage 2 and Stage 1 watering rules for now. San Antonio’s investment in diverse water sources beyond the Edwards Aquifer, such as Vista Ridge, desalination and Aquifer Storage and Recovery, has brought… Continue Reading Spring Showers Wash Away Drought Stage Watering Rules
In contrast to the record-breaking, multiyear drought of the early 2010s, the last few years have seemed rather lush by comparison. And our lawns and landscapes were grateful. But, in fact, our area has seen below-average rainfall for several years, and it’s getting worse. Since June 2020, our area has received less than 40 percent… Continue Reading It’s Hot and Dry — Know When To Water?
Want to get your spring lawn off to a healthy start? Then let the hoses and sprinklers collect a few more cobwebs. Even though things are starting to green up, most turf grasses don’t hit their growing season stride until April. If you start watering too early, the weeds will certainly get a boost, but… Continue Reading Hold Off on Lawn Watering — We’re Still In Stage 1
In winter, landscape plants are not actively growing. Winter weeds, however, are busy multiplying with every drop of water they get. As long as soil temperatures are below 70 degrees, turf grasses will not produce green shoots. What will turn green are germinating winter weeds like dandelions and henbit, along with all kinds of weedy… Continue Reading Too Much Water Makes Winter Weeds Go Wild
After a hot, dry summer, the San Antonio city manager announced the end to water restrictions effective Monday, Sept. 28. Recent rainfall has raised the level of the Edwards Aquifer, the cornerstone of San Antonio’s diverse water supplies. Since the aquifer had remained above the Stage 1 trigger level for several weeks, the decision was… Continue Reading Watering Restrictions Kicked to Curb by Recent Rains
Well-timed rain events have helped keep things moist and green heading into summer. But triple-digit temps are likely to make a comeback, especially as the season wears on. Before you turn the sprinkler on full blast in the middle of the day, remember there is an ideal time to water. Our year-round guidelines encourage you… Continue Reading Do You Know When To Water?
