Summer will be on us in no time at all, and spring is a great time to get your landscape ready for the hot days ahead. Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) has put together some handy tips and advice to help you have a beautiful and water-efficient yard.

•Walk Your Yard

One of the first steps is to walk the zones of your sprinkler system. Turn them on one zone at a time and check each sprinkler to make sure it is not clogged, leaking, or damaged. Also make sure the sprinklers are watering your plants and not your driveway, the sidewalk, or causing runoff. Mark any problem sprinklers you find with a small flag so you’ll know which ones require repairs or adjustments.

•Upgrade Your Equipment

You can improve your sprinkler system’s efficiency by 25 to 30 percent by swapping out old sprinklers with water-efficient ones. Newer rotary pop-up sprinklers deliver water in a thicker stream than mist sprayers ensuring that more water reaches plants. Drip irrigation systems are even more efficient because they deliver water directly to a plant’s roots, reducing water loss to evaporation, runoff, and wind.

Another important piece of equipment to add is a WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controller.  These controllers act like a thermostat for your sprinkler system and use local weather and landscape conditions to precisely tailor watering schedules. Replacing a standard clock timer with a WaterSense labeled controller can save an average home almost 9,000 gallons of water a year.

SSWD has rebates available for its customers for irrigation upgrades and WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controllers.

•Use the Soak and Cycle Method

Soak and cycle is a process of running your sprinklers in shorter increments spaced out over a period of time to allow for better absorption of the water by the soil. For example, if you’re running your sprinklers for six minutes, break the watering cycle into two increments of three minutes, spaced an hour apart. This allows the water to permeate through the soil and get to where it’s needed. 

Running your sprinklers for one long period is like trying to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner all at the same time. Give your irrigation cycle some space and you’ll see less waste.

•Layer on Compost and Mulch

Adding a layer of compost and mulch around your plants and trees will make them healthier and stronger. Compost adds much-needed nutrients to the soil and helps to improve soil structure and aeration.

Mulch acts like a layer of insulation and moderates soil temperature helping to protect a plant’s and tree’s roots as the temperature rises. It also reduces the rate of evaporation and hinders the growth and germination of weeds.

And just like getting back into shape after not having worked out for a while, it’s best to take it slow to start. Spring’s cooler temperatures mean your yard doesn’t need as much water as it does during the hot days of summer. Start out watering in shorter segments and gradually increase the watering time as the temperature gets warmer.

Please keep in mind as you begin to turn on your sprinklers that SSWD’s current watering schedule is two days per week (odd addresses can water on Tuesday and Saturday and even addresses can water on Wednesday and Sunday) before noon and after 6 p.m.

Be sure visit www.sswd.org for more information about SSWD’s water use restrictions.