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Ask Burton: This week, just a reminder. Please check your sprinkler systems!

Posted on October, 30

It’s November. We all watered like crazy this summer, due to the severe heat. But, thankfully, that’s over with until next year! We’ll still have some warm(ish) weather, certainly. But your plants AND your wallet will appreciate you cutting back on unnecessary watering.

Water newly planted trees, shrubs, and color for the first few days to get the soil well settled in around their root systems. Water them a bit more often than your established plants. Container plantings will need a bit more, as well. The water hose is still your friend on those.

But for your established trees, shrubs, and perennial color in ground? Once a week is plenty… if that. The lawn is headed toward dormancy, and certainly doesn’t need more than one watering per week now.

Check plants for water before reflexively pulling out the hose. Run automatic sprinkler systems less often, or better yet turn them off until next spring. Just run those systems manually as needed. If you’re travelling or worried that you’ll forget, no more than once per week. Once winter arrives, once every two weeks (if needed, as rainfall and soil moisture require) and on the day before serious cold spells or ice storms hit.

Your plants will be healthier for not being overwatered, and saving money is always a good thing.