Ellen Sturup Comeau
Summer is fast approaching! That means sunny weather, hot temperatures, and high humidity. Staying hydrated is critical to staying healthy in the intense weather, and that is doubly true for the plants in our yards. Luckily, our plants may not need as much water as we think! The average South Carolina plant only needs about one inch of water weekly. It’s important to remember that average, as overwatering plants can do more harm than underwatering. Overwatering can lead to fungal diseases, poor root growth, and increased weed growth. So, before turning on our irrigation systems, we must see whether our plants need the extra water.
The first thing to check is if there was enough rain to offset our plants’ water needs. An easy way to quantify weekly rainfall is to use a rain gauge! Rain gauges are simple and inexpensive tools. Place one in an open area, check and empty it daily, and we can calculate how much water plants already received. If there’s been less than one inch of rain in a week, we can plan to irrigate.
Another option to determine if there’s been enough rain is to check out the Community Collaborative Rain, Snow, and Hail Network (CoCoRaHS) program. CoCoRaHS is a citizen science monitoring effort that measures and maps precipitation. Their data is free to access and provides the same information as a rain gauge. Find a nearby station at cocorahs.org!
During weeks with little to no rain, we will have to irrigate. Best practices for irrigation in our area include applying no more than ½ inch of water at one time and applying water a maximum of three times a week. To follow these guidelines, we must calibrate our irrigation systems. By calibrating our irrigation systems, we can determine how long to run our systems to apply the necessary amount of water. Calibrating our systems also includes determining if the system applies water evenly across the landscape and the opportunity to correct any issues and leaks! Clemson University – PSA has an excellent YouTube video called “How to Set and Calibrate Your Irrigation System,” and there are several factsheets on calibrating nearly every type of irrigation system available on Clemson’s Home and Garden Information Center (www.hgic.clemson.edu).
For more information on how to water wisely, check out the “Landscape Irrigation Management” factsheet series on Clemson’s Home and Garden Information Center!
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