You may be asking, “How often should I water my lawn during the winter months?” Every homeowner dreams of showcasing a beautiful lawn all year, but it can be tricky to determine how often to run your irrigation system during the fall and winter. If you are unsure about seasonal watering schedules in Texas, keep reading!

Running Your Irrigation System During the Winter

Thanks to Texas’ scorching hot temperatures, area homeowners understand the importance of an efficient and reliable irrigation system. It’s no secret that regular watering is required to keep your lawn from perishing under the hot summer sun, but few homeowners know how to adjust irrigation schedules to accommodate mild fall and winter temperatures.

If you are like many North Texas homeowners, you may be tempted to shut your irrigation system off during the fall and wintertime. However, if you want your landscapes to thrive during the spring, you’ll need to keep your irrigation system running all year long.

One reason why we recommend running your sprinkler system during the winter is that your plants still need moisture. Sod, for example, needs about an inch of water a month to thrive. If mother nature fails to provide adequate moisture, you’ll end up starving the sod while it’s in a dormant state.

Overwatering your lawn can also lead to a plethora of problems including fungus, root rot, and plant disease. Plant roots should always be searching for their next meal. Your goal should be to apply just enough moisture to nourish the plant without letting the roots get too lazy. By applying precise irrigation, you’ll encourage plant roots to venture deep into the soil to seek moisture. Promoting deep root growth is the key to healthy, hearty landscapes year-round.

Tips for Seasonal Sprinkler System Adjustments

1) Visit WaterIsAwesome.com to receive weekly emails and avoid over or underwatering your lawn. Tarrant Regional Water District and Dallas Water Utilities have teamed up to provide “Weekly Watering Advice” to help Dallas Fort Worth homeowners know when and how long to run their sprinkler system. Their website is a helpful resource if you are unsure about running your sprinkler system.

2) Install a smart irrigation controller. Smart irrigation technology automatically schedules your irrigation system based on data collected from local weather stations. Unlike traditional irrigation controllers that operate on a preset programmed schedule and timers, smart irrigation controllers monitor weather, soil conditions, evaporation, and plant water use to automatically adjust the watering schedule to actual conditions of the site.

3) Trust the experts. Since 1971, Lee Engineering provides high-quality irrigation repair and installation in Dallas Fort Worth and surrounding areas. For customers using a traditional irrigation controller, we recommend the following seasonal adjustments.

 

If you are still unsure about watering your lawn during the winter, Lee Engineering offers seasonal irrigation tune-ups to set your system up for success. Don’t forget to ask your Irrigation Technician about smart irrigation technology!

Contact Lee Engineering

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