2023 Irrigation Shut Off Dates for the Area and End of Season Watering Tips

October brings the end to the irrigation water season, and we wanted to share when several of the local irrigation districts are ending the irrigation water season and some tips for your landscape to make it through winter better.

Irrigation Districts
Benton Irrigation District Oct 13th
Badger Mountain Irrigation District Oct 20th
Columbia Irrigation District Oct 13th
City of Pasco Irrigation Oct 16th
City of Richland Irrigation Oct 16th
East Columbia Irrigation District Oct 23rd
Franklin County Irrigation District Oct 23rd
Kennewick Irrigation District Oct 11th
South Columbia Irrigation District Oct 23rd

Before the water goes off
-Ensure everything in the yard gets a good drink; nothing is dry or wilting.
-Deep soak evergreens, and then make a recurring phone/calendar reminder to check the evergreens once a month through March.
-Make a fix list to repair before spring if sprinklers or valves are leaking, broken, or haven’t worked correctly.
-Review this list of plants that do well getting a drink in winter.

After the irrigation, the irrigation water is off.
-Clean your filters. That way, they are good to go in spring.
-Get your sprinkler lines blown out
-Disconnect your hoses from outdoor faucets
-Drain garden hoses when not in use
-Clean your sprinkler screens, inspect the sprinklers for wear and tear like springs, nozzles, or threads repair if needed
-Put your irrigation timer either in standby mode or off, depending on model or brand recommendations for winter storage. There is no need to have your valves turned on and off all winter.
-Consider upgrading your irrigation timer if it’s hard to program for modern smart controllers that use phone apps for programming vs the mystery dial.

Is there still time to do winter chores this March?

With the snow soon to begin melting with warmer temps, fortunately you haven’t missed out on too many garden activities, you just going to have to be ready to do some of the chores in a quick fashion because it’s going to change quickly when it does.

Prevention Spraying with Dormant Oil and Copper Fungicide as long as the buds are hard and it’s a day above 40 you can still spray with the dormant rates on the label. If you miss it follow labels instructions on what to do for the different stages of growth for the plants you are spraying for.

Applying Crabgrass Control. You actually have a lot of time for this as in before May. In fact it would be easier to apply and activate when the irrigation water comes on in April vs applying it when the Forsythia bloom and timing it with rain to activate it.

Dormant Pruning for Roses
This can be done as long as the leaf buds have not begun to pop. The basics for pruning roses are to cut them back to 2 feet then remove diseased, damaged, dead and crossing canes. For climbing roses, go ahead and leave tall just remove the diseased, damaged, dead and crossing canes.

Dormant Pruning Fruit and Berries
This can also be done while the buds are hard. To check this you want to feel the bud with your finger. If it’s hard and doesn’t give or squish under light pressure you are good.

Fertilizing your lawn, trees, shrubs and perennials.
Feeding your plants is a good thing but wait until April like normal because the plant will be awake enough to feed upon the fertilizer as well it is easier to water in with your watering systems.

Cutting back ornamental grasses
Cut them down as soon as the snow melts because once it warms up enough they will begin to grow again for the season and you will only be able to cut them back to as far as they have emerged to.

Cutting back perennials
Either pull off the dead material with your hand or cut it down. Unlike grasses it easier to see the new foliage emerge that you work around it and completely remove all the dead stuff.

Spraying weeds
Round up, Burn Out and other similar herbicides actually work best when temps are in the sixties, so there is plenty of time for this. No need to jump the gun. If the winter weeds are bothering you too much, you can always pull or hoe them out after the snow has cleared.

Applying Pre-emergents
This can be down actually any time of year but it is easier to do when the water is on to water the product in. Just remember to weed or spray the area really good beforehand.

Planting trees, berries and fruit trees
Your time will be short for bare root stuff but potted and B&B trees you have plenty of time.

Planting shrubs and perennials
Most of these plants are potted and can be planted year round. So once the ground is workable again until it’s over 90 you can plant these.

Planting annuals
Annual flowers like petunias and marigolds its best to plant those more toward May when the ground warms up. Primroses and pansies would be good to plant when the snow clears.

When does the irrigation water go off for 2018?

October 2018 is here and for irrigation water, it’s the end of the season. Here are the end dates for the different irrigation districts.

Badger Mountain Irrigation District Oct 19th
Benton Irrigation District Oct 12th
City of Pasco Irrigation Water Oct 15th
Columbia Irrigation District Oct 15th
East Columbia Irrigation District Oct 22nd
Kennewick Irrigation District Oct 10th
Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District Oct 24th
Roza Irrigation District Oct 18th
South Columbia Basin Irrigation District Oct 23

What we recommend doing before the water turns off is to make sure all you trees and shrubs get a good drink. Then after the irrigation water shuts off, especially for evergreens is that they get checked for moisture monthly and watered if dry. An easy way to remember is to put a reminder on your phone’s calendar.

First Year Watering Guide

Watering for the First Year

In the first growing season, all new plants (including drought resistant ones) need extra water to allow them root into the surrounding soil. Make sure to deep soak the plants enough with a sprinkler on a hose; so that your soil is moist to 12 inches below the surface of the dirt a day after you have watered. You want your moisture to soak in this deep so that your plant’s roots develop deep and can handle not being watered for a few days in case there are problems with your irrigation system. If in doubt, you need to dig down 12 inches with a shovel, trowel or use a soil probe to make sure you are soaking in deep enough.

A general deep soaking schedule for sand loam soil (the main soil texture for Tri-Cities) it is listed by day time high temperatures
 

50 ̊F or less once a month for evergreens, check every two months for deciduous plants 50 to 70 ̊F deep soak once every two weeks after foliage emerges or drops on deciduous

70 to 85 ̊F deep soak once a week for one hour
85 to 95 ̊F deep soak twice a week for two hours
Above 95 ̊F soak three times a week for two hours
After all wind storms when temperature highs are above 85 ̊F go check the soil moisture.
**For Clay or compacted soil you will need to shorten you water run time and increase the amount of time your water to get the same effect**

My Hibiscus aren’t awake yet! Are they OK?

The dayliies are up, the black eyed Susans are waking up, even the salvias are peeking out of the ground, however the Hibiscus are still the cut back stalks that you left them back in February.  Did they survive the winter?

The answer is yes, they most likely did survive the winter. They just are waiting for the ground to warm up a little more before they show sings of life.  Wait until Mid May to see what peeks up. 

Tune your Irrigation System for Success

Tuning your irrigation system allows for a more efficient use of water and it's easy.  It also helps prepare your plants for different weather shifts and you apply water based on that irrigation zones conditions.  Both Hunter and Rainbird have free apps to set your run times more appropriately for established yards. Also we have set up links to help determine your yards conditions. Remember that new plantings their first year will need to be babied a bit more but they don't need daily water. 

A link to Hunter's App

A link to Rainbird's App

Things to know as you tune your irrigation timer
-The soil type of your yard: Sand, clay, silt or a mix of the three (loam).  This will help identify how your yard behaves in drainage and moisture retnetion.  Sand has very good drainage and can handle longer run times of sprinklers but needs more frequent runs.  Clay soils hold moisture very well however it does not take to long run times well, short bursts work best to prevent run off and water waste. How to tell soil texture by feel.

-The exposure of that sprinkler zone.  Full sun, afternoon sun or wind exposed sprinkler zones dry out faster through evaporation than afternoon shade, mostly shade and wind protected zones.  Thus as you adjust your sprinkler zone times based on their separate exposures. This can be determined by taking time to walk around the house a couple of times of day and observe what area is sunny and what area is in shade at what time of day and for how long. Do this on a lazy day off.

-Your type of sprinklers.  Different sprinkles types throw out water at different rates. Common sprinkler types are rotors, impacts, sprays, bubblers and multi-streamrotors. Also if you have drip, what size of emitters are your using. Irrigation System Component Video can help you identify what type of sprinklers you have.

-The grade of the yard. Is it flat or does it slope up or down? The slope of your yard also affect how sprinklers work as well as how water will travel in the yard.  Here is a video to determine slope.

by Alex Job