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You have three choices to make about your watering
schedule:
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1 |
What time of day to water |
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[If you have an automatic controller, this is usually called Start Time or Cycle Start] |
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In general, to reduce water loss by evaporation, it
is best to water during the early morning hours if
you are using a spray system. (Remember that Santa
Monica's Municipal Code prohibits watering between
10 a.m. & 4 p.m.) For drip systems, you may choose
any time you like. Sometimes, when using watering
devices, like spray heads or bubblers, which apply
water faster than the soil can accept it; you may
need several start times spaced out over a longer
period. See Too Much, Too Fast? below.
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2 |
How long to water |
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[Run Time or Water Time]
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This is the hardest one to figure
out. It is the time that it takes to refill the soil
reservoir in the root ball of the plants and is a
function of the type of plant, its root depth, the
type of soil and the current weather. It is possible
to mathematically calculate this number but someone
has already done that for you. Go to the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) website and use the
watering
calculator to establish a beginning controller
program for your garden. |
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After living with this program a while you may want
to adjust it, but this will put you in the ballpark
and assure that you are not overwatering. (If you
have a native plant garden, overwatering is about
the only thing that can kill your plants.)
Ordinarily, once you’ve figured out how long to
water, that number should only be changed to adjust
for root growth. |
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If you are using a watering device
that has a high application rate or the planting
area is on a slope or you have clay soil that can’t
absorb the water fast enough, it may be advantageous
to divide this time up into several shorter
applications to avoid run-off. S |
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3 |
How often to water |
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[Day Interval
or Skip-A-Day] |
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(The
watering calculator
will figure this out
for you too.)
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Unless you have a Smart controller to do the work
for you, increasing or decreasing the frequency of
watering should be your primary method of seasonal
adjustment. The number of days between watering is
the best way to think of this. Unless you have a
specific need to avoid watering on certain days of
the week, you will find this the easiest way to make
seasonal adjustments. Some controllers allow
frequency to be scheduled only by days of the week.
These settings are referred to as Day Settings,
Days of the Week or Days On. |
