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Up to 70% of your household water use is outdoors. This is why it’s so important to ensure you are watering efficiently. Raise your hand if you adjust your irrigation controller four times a year with the seasons. More than likely, you did not raise your hand. Either way, don’t worry there is a controller that is so smart that it adjusts automatically according to everything going on in your yard! This technology reduces the overall amount of water used up to 50% and reduces your water bill, saving you money, and helping to conserve a precious resource.

“Smart” VS “Not-so-smart”

Rain Bird ESP-SMT4 Smart Controller

The “not-so-smart” or “traditional” irrigation controllers required us to determine how much to water and when. With the “smart” irrigation controllers you simply program in the conditions for each zone. The programming information includes:

• light conditions (full sun, 25% shade, 50% shade, 75% shade, and full shade)
• plant type (grass, annuals, groundcover, shrubs, and trees)
• amount of slope (0°-2°, 3°-4°, 5°-7°, 8°-Up)
• soil type (sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, loam, clay loam, silty clay, and clay)

Another feature is the on-site weather sensor that communicates current weather data on a regular basis back to the controller. The weather station measures rain fall and temperature and compares this information with the programmed historical data based upon the zip code entered. As weather conditions change, the irrigation schedule adjusts accordingly on a daily basis.

Programming

When the controller is programmed correctly, you can expect to maintain a healthy landscape while consuming up to 50% less water than “traditional” time-based controllers. One bonus feature of some “smart” controllers is that you can program the controller anywhere you want. The old days of standing out in summer heat and trying to program your controller while having difficulty reading the display are over. All you have to do is install a 9-Volt alkaline battery in the controller and program it from your couch inside your air conditioned home. The pre-programmed information is saved in non-volatile memory for retrieval at a future date.

Rebate programs

Summer is coming soon and why not start the season with a “smart” controller to do all the work for you. Save water and save money! Check with your water provider, as some offer controller rebates and may be able to assist with the cost of the unit such as the cities of Scottsdale, Peoria, and Chandler. Also in the spring, Salt River Project (SRP) has a Water Conservation Expo and offers a “smart” irrigation controller discount. For more information on “smart” irrigation controllers, visit SRP’s Facts and Questions page. Remember there are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.

Salt River Project (SRP) is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer conservation assistance to water customers. Contact your local water conservation office.

Heat tolerant trees like the Palo Verde often have small leaves, light green or grey leaves, are native to arid climates, and can tolerate intermittent watering

Do you have questions about planting a tree or caring for existing trees in your yard? Joanne Toms, Water Conservation Specialist, from the City of Glendale is here with some helpful Q&A. Just in time for Arbor Day, which is today (Friday, April 27th)!

What type of tree should I plant?
Pick a tree that can survive and thrive in our desert region. Heat tolerant trees often have the following characteristics: small leaves, light green or grey leaves, are native to arid climates, and can tolerate intermittent watering. For a copy of the popular Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert, which features more than 30 desert-adapted trees, contact your local water conservation office.

Where should I water my tree?
Nature knows best. Imitate nature by watering your tree at the drip line (at the outer reaches of the canopy of the tree). This is also where a tree naturally sheds rainwater. The most active water absorption area is at the drip line and beyond, not adjacent to the trunk.

How much should I water my tree?
You need to fill up your tree’s underground water storage tank – the “root zone,” or the soil surrounding the tree’s roots. Be sure to water the tree’s root zone which is 24 to 36 inches deep. A good way to test how deep you have watered is to use a soil probe or a long screwdriver. Just be sure to know where your irrigation and utility lines are located, first. Several hours after watering, push the probe into the soil. It will slide easily through wet soil but will be difficult or impossible to push through dry soil. Check out this handy brochure on how to best water your trees.

Consider different watering depths for different types of plants.

New Tree Trail Dedication April 28
Just in time for Arbor Day, Glendale’s Conservation & Sustainable Living program has opened its new addition to the Glendale Xeriscape Garden, the Tree Trail. This project, funded by a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, features a renovated 10,000-square foot area of the garden, with a focus on small- and medium-sized trees better suited for most residential landscapes where space may be tight. Residents are encouraged to come and enjoy the new Tree Trail and the surrounding Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. The new Tree Trail is located at the city’s Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St., and open sun up to sun down every day.

The Glendale Tree Trail showcases small to medium sized trees that would be suitable for residential properties. Check out the Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday, April 28 at 9 am!

Glendale is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer water-saving landscape assistance to water customers.

The combination of aging irrigation systems and decades-old traditional overhead spray nozzles can result in large and unsightly brown spots in grass areas. Up until recently, traditional spray nozzles were the only option to irrigate grass areas between 5’-15’.

What is a traditional spray nozzle, you ask? In a nutshell, it’s any nozzle that delivers small water droplets quickly and in a fan shaped pattern. Due to the high flow of water coming out of traditional spray nozzles (almost 2 gallons per minute, 15’ half-circle), many aging sprinkler pipes get mineral buildup and can no longer provide the needed pressure to deliver water evenly between the originally designed head-to-head spacing. Most homeowners try to solve this issue by simply increasing run-times until the brown spots disappear. However, while this solution may improve the look of the site, it results in a tremendous increase in water consumption, with some areas getting a lot more water than needed, which is both costly and environmentally unfriendly.

Homeowners can take a cue from landscape professionals, who have learned to rely on multi-stream rotating sprinkler heads, such as the Hunter MP Rotator. The MP Rotator features a unique, multi-trajectory rotating stream delivery system that achieves water-conserving results. Rather than simply “spray” water onto landscapes, MP Rotators deliver multiple streams of water at a slow, steady rate. The reduction in flow will boost system pressure allowing the MP Rotator’s multi-stream “moving fingers” to achieve previously compromised head-to-head spacing.

This is what makes MP’s perfect for revitalizing older systems—the retrofit can solve both low pressure and poor coverage problems. The MP Rotator can be installed onto any conventional spray head body transforming them into high uniformity, low precipitation rate sprinklers. But be careful. Because the MP Rotator has a much lower flow rate (1/2 gallon per minute, 15’ half-circle) compared to a traditional spray nozzle, a complete removal of ALL traditional spray nozzles on a single valve (station) must be done. By mixing MP Rotators & traditional spray nozzles on a single valve (station), an already inefficient system will only become worse.

Another added benefit is the MP Rotator’s compatibility with Arizona soil absorption rates.  Most Arizona landscapes consist of clay soil profiles capable of absorbing only a ½” or less of water per hour. In Water – Use It Wisely’s 100+ Ways to Conserve, # 18 states If water runs off your lawn easily, split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption. That’s because most traditional spray nozzles deliver water at flows 100-200% faster than what Arizona soils can absorb.  Due to the MP Rotators “Slow-the-Flow” nature, it delivers water to your landscape at a much slower rate therefore minimizing or eliminating unnecessary run-off. This slower application rate allows water to gently soak into the soil, and achieves an even distribution throughout the area being irrigated. This increased efficiency results in 30% less water use when compared to traditional sprays, and significantly reduces wasteful runoff.

MP Rotators are also a great choice for new systems, as they provide immense range, flexibility and provide better system efficiency.

From time to time, WUIW features guest bloggers who write about water conservation and education. Danny Motylewski from Hunter Industries is our guest blogger this week. Hunter Industries is committed to research and development efforts centered on innovative solutions that save water, and they always have been. Moving forward, their focus towards water and energy conservation will continue every day.

Hey Arizonans! Do you reside in the City of Peoria? Did you know that you can take advantage of such things as rebates on High-Efficiency Toilets, Irrigation Controllers, Hot Water Recirculators and Xeriscape landscaping? Talk about savings for you and for the environment!

Watch this interview by Andy Lombardo, one of our Regional Water Partners from the City of Peoria, to learn more about those rebates and other things you can do to conserve water inside and outside of the home.

Ah, spring in the Desert Southwest… beautiful, sunny, seventy-five degree days. It’s perfect weather for gardening, but it’s also an especially good time for some irrigation system maintenance. Irrigation problems are not always apparent between the cool nighttime temperatures, the periodic cloudy days and even the occasional sprinkle of rain. So don’t wait until the heat sets in. Check out our Irrigation Maintenance Checklist to get your system in tip-top shape just in time for summer’s sizzle.

After making any drip irrigation repairs, flush out the line for about a minute. Do this by removing the end cap at the end of the poly line. Yours might have a figure 8 end fitting that kinks the poly line - just slip it off and unkink.

Water – Use It Wisely offers all kinds of landscape advice to help you save water and money. Here’s just a sample:

• Learn how to properly water your plants to keep them healthy and beautiful in Landscape Watering by the Numbers.
• Learn how to program your irrigation controller on our Timing is Everything page.
• Find out about free booklets and guides available online or from your local water provider.
• Sign up for a monthly watering reminder email that guides you on how much and how often to water.

The City of Mesa is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer assistance with saving water. Many even offer rebates on toilets, desert landscaping and more.

Join us for another interview on “Your Life A to Z” on Arizona’s local Channel 3 to learn more about the Paradise Valley Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Jake Lenderking and Sally Ceccerelli-Wolf from our Regional Partner, Arizona American Water, tell us about how a demonstration garden can help someone who is planting in their yard choose low water-use plants to beautify their landscaping. The demonstration garden has all sorts of different native plants that will grow and blossom with the seasons, and people can come take a look and get an idea of what their yard will look like if they chose a specific plant.

Furthermore, since up to 70% of your water use is outdoors, choosing a xeriscape landscape for your yard can help you conserve water and save on your utility bills.

Watch the interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3 here:

As the weather changes in November, Arizonans get out and enjoy the cooler temperatures. Why not take advantage of the weather and give container gardening a try this season? We have some great suggestions about how to select a plant, choose a pot, get the best soil, and water your plants appropriately. Add color to your patios or out in your landscape.

Check out our Water – Use It Wisely “Landscape Care” page for details not only on container gardening, but we also offer information on how to plant, how to program your timer, how to Xeriscape and more! Visit our “Landscape Care” page for knowledge that’ll make you water-wise!

The fall planting season has arrived! Temperatures are cooler, and it’s a great time to renovate your landscape or replace plants you may have lost during the hot, dry summer.

Desert Willow Trees are native to the Sonoran Desert.

There are hundreds of beautiful desert plants to choose from but one of the biggest challenges of purchasing desert plants (especially since many are Sonoran Desert natives) is that some don’t look great in the pot at the nursery. You really have to have faith and know that the wispy stems in the container will be like the ‘ugly duckling that turns into a swan’ once planted in your landscape.

That’s why we suggest visiting a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden for plant selection ideas. It’s amazing how different plants look when they’re established in the landscape. Best of all, demonstration gardens give you a good idea of how large a plant can get so that you’re sure to put the right plant in the right place. You’ll also find design ideas and great examples of plant combinations.

Brand new xeriscape demonstration garden in Paradise Valley

One of our Water – Use It Wisely Partners, Arizona American Water, is pleased to showcase a new Xeriscape Demonstration Garden in Paradise Valley located at 6229 N. Mockingbird Lane. The Company planned the garden with neighbors, town council members, and Master Gardeners and turned an unused site into a fabulous demonstration for low-water use plants, Xeriscape principals and how to save water and money.

Arizona American Water is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners and many of them sponsor beautiful demonstration gardens. Get inspired. Find a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden near you!

Over half of household water – in some cases up to 70% is used outdoors. That means saving water in your landscape is one of the best and easiest ways to reduce your outdoor water use. We’ve got three great resources to make you the top water miser in the neighborhood:

Photos and plant charts help you with plant selection.

1. Xeriscape is defined as water efficient, creative landscaping that guides you with seven landscape principles to create a beautiful, healthy and water efficient yard. And, no! It’s not just rocks and cactus. Details can be found in Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert.
2. Use Water Thrifty Plants like the bold, armored agaves or like the fragrant-flowered acacias. There are hundreds of beautiful low-water-use plants that are available for our region of the Sonoran Desert. Learn more from Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert.
3. Water Efficiently to reduce your water use by 30-50%. If you’ve used the Xeriscape principles and planted low-water-use plants, it’s even more important to make sure you are watering properly. It is very common by residents and even commercial landscapers to over water desert landscapes. Check out our Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert.

Proper watering techniques are provided for all types of Arizona landscapes.

These resources are all available online, but free booklets are also available. All fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, offer these guides to their water customers. Contact information is available on our partner page.

Our three must-have guides.

Wildflowers announce the arrival of spring in Arizona’s deserts. You might be surprised to learn that wildflowers aren’t technically a low-water using plant. They are drought evaders, completing their life cycle during the rainy seasons in the desert. Most wildflowers are grown from seeds sown in the fall, although some species can be found as plants in containers at the nurseries in the spring. Learn more about wildflowers in the book, Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert. Find out how to order a copy of the book on the Water – Use It Wisely “Links and Resources” page. Just look for the details under Landscaping Practices and Xeriscape.