Over the last year, many of our customers have struggled with some of the mandatory restrictions on watering days and station run times.   We are happy to report that as of June 28, 2016, there are no longer any mandatory watering days or zone run time restrictions within RMWD.   You may choose to water your landscape at whatever interval and duration that you choose with the caveat that excessive irrigation that leads to runoff is still not allowed.

In North San Diego County, the typical soil composition is such that simply running your sprinklers longer does not translate into more water getting where it needs to be - at the roots of your plants.   Local soils range from clay to decomposed granite and these soil types do not soak up water at a rate that matches many sprinkler systems. If you feel that your plants need more water you may be better off running your zones in multiple short runs separated by at least 30 minutes rather than running a longer period.  

For example, if you run your sprinklers for 15 minutes all at once, your soil may only absorb the first 5 or 10 minutes worth with the rest being wasted as runoff.   This runoff is not only against State and local regulations, it can be expensive.   If 15 minutes seems to work, you might even try two 5 minutes runs to see if that works just as well in order to save money and reduce runoff.

Having a nice layer of mulch on your soil is also a great way to capture the water and keep it on your plants rather than having it run off where it does not help your landscape.

If you would like more information about regional training sessions on residential irrigation, please contact us at 760-728-1178 and ask for Cynthia Gray who can give you the information you need.