The tendency this time of year is to turn the irrigation off and roll up the hoses, but if your lawn and landscape could talk, they would be encouraging you to not cut off the water just yet and be prepared to give them a drink from time to time through the winter.
Sure, your lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowers don’t need as much water from through the winter, but they do need some.
Your landscape needs at least ½” of moisture every two weeks through the winter.
It has been 3 weeks since most of the Oklahoma City metro has received a ¼” rainfall.
Soil moisture is dwindling and there isn’t a strong chance of a good rainfall for several days.
Throughout the winter take advantage of nice, warm, light wind days and give your lawn and landscape a good soaking.
Pansies need moisture through the winter to survive and make a strong spring show.
Winter watering is particularly critical for evergreen shrubs and trees. Windy days zap the moisture stored in their leaves making them sensitive to winter injury when we receive a harsh cold snap when they are dry.
Evergreens and fescue require more water attention during the winter.
Japanese maples have shallow roots that are susceptible to drying out during the winter.
Fescue and rye lawns will retain more color over the winter if the soil is moist went temperatures below 30 degrees.
Newly sodded lawns will experience winter damage if they are not kept consistently moist at this time of year.
Finally, all newer landscapes, those installed in the last two years require a little more watering attention over the winter.
If your irrigation system has an insulated cover and heat tape protecting the backflow, or if your system is an older system with an inground backflow, or if your backflow is inside your house, winterizing your system is not required during most Oklahoma winters. Even last year during the extreme cold, we saw little freeze damage to systems with protected backflows.
Pansies are a great winter annual as long as they aren’t bone dry when a cold front arrives.
Picture of the week: Discovered a Crape Myrtle in a customer’s landscape putting on new blooms in November while it’s leaves are changing colors. The last 12 months has been very confusing for our landscapes.
Shallow rooted plants, such as: azalea and Japanese maple are also prone to winter injury when they do not receive regular moisture during dormancy.
Plants with shallow root systems, such as Japanese Maples and Azaleas, respond best if they receive at least 1/2” of moisture every 7-10 days throughout the winter.
If you have perennials or winter annuals such as pansies or kale, winter moisture is critical to their performance going into the spring.
Evergreens need moisture during to winter to keep their foliage healthy.
Set your azaleas up for a successful spring by making sure they have enough moisture this winter.
Fescue lawns will retain more color in the winter and rebound quicker in the spring if they are not allowed to become bone dry during the winter.
A snow cover can be very helpful when temps go below freezing because warmer soil temperatures are trapped in.
Current Watering Recommendation - Continue to water one to two times per week until we receive an extended cold spell.
Watering Through the Winter - Monitor the weather. Pay attention to the amount of rainfall we are receiving. Anytime we go a week or two without a good rain or snow cover, pick a warm day and run your system through a cycle. If you don’t have an irrigation system, pick an enjoyable day, stretch out the hoses and make sure all plant material receives a good soaking.
Consider Upgrading Your System – If your system doesn’t have a rain/freeze sensor, add one. A rain/freeze sensor allows you the ability to set the controller to run once per week and leave it. If the temperature is below freezing, or if there has been a recent rain, the sensor will interrupt the scheduled cycle. The benefit is you won’t have to remember to turn your system off when it is too cold, or it has rained.
Another Upgrade to Consider – Install a Rainbird WiFi Link controller and let us control your system for you. We will monitor the weather and adjust the system through the winter based on the amount of moisture the area has received.
Remember – Most winter plant injury occurs when we receive a harsh cold spell while plant root systems are dry.
Give us a call, or respond to this email, if we can help you with irrigation solutions.
Lorne Hall
Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape
(405)367-3873