Wednesday, June 30, 2010

July is the Highest Water Month

July is often the month that our lawns and landscapes require the most water. Here are a few steps to make sure you make every drop count. A perfect time to do this is before you go on vacation.

INSPECT SPRINKLERS
Inspect each sprinkler head and look for broken, bent or blocked sprinkler heads or nozzles.
• Broken Sprinklers: Repair or replace immediately
• Bent or Sunken Sprinklers: Use a trowel to remove soil and adjust the head so it is plumb and spraying correctly. The head should pop up high enough to spray without being blocked by the plant material.
• Broken or clogged Sprinkler Nozzles: Replace these with the correct nozzle. It is a good idea to have several spare nozzles for easy replacement)

INSPECT DRIP SYSTEM
Turn on the drip system and walk through the garden looking and listening for breaks and broken emitters.
• Traditional Drip Systems: The most common repair needed for traditional half-inch poly pipe drip with pop in emitters is broken emitters. If you find one, simply use a pair of pliers to remove it and install a “goof plug”. The goof plug has two sizes so use the size that will completely fill the hole. You can then install a new emitter a few inches away from the goof plug.
• Quadra-Bubbler Drip: The most common repair needed for these types of drip systems is the spaghetti tubing comes out of the bubbler. If the tubing is brittle at the end, you may need to snip off an inch and re-insert it. Also, if the quadra-bubbler tip is broken, you will need to replace the whole quadra-bubbler.

JULY WATERING SCHEDULE
The following is the recommended schedule for central and east Contra Costa County.
• Lawns: For pop-up spray sprinklers water three cycles for 3 to 6 minutes, 3 to 4 days per week.
• Trees, Shrubs, Groundcovers: For pop-up spray sprinklers water three cycles for 3 to 6 minutes, 2 to 3 days per week

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