If you look online, there are all sorts of watering tips readily available, but they are not always the same. It can be tricky to determine what are the best practices are for your lawn and garden. Not only can watering needs vary depending on where you live, but also what type of soil you have as well as what you planted. As one of the top plant nurseries in Utah, we thought we should share some general watering tips that work best for gardens and lawns in North/Central Utah. Here are three things to keep in mind:
Be sure to check the Utah Division of Water Resources Weekly Watering Guide before turning on your sprinklers.
Watering Tip #1: Time of Day
The best time of day to water your lawn and planting beds is before 8am or after 8pm. Temperatures will be cooler and the water has more of a chance to soak down deep into the roots without evaporating (aka wasting water). Another reason to water early/late is that after watering is complete, the plant foliage dries rapidly. This helps guard your plants from fungal diseases.
Watering Tip #2: Four Important Holidays 
Four holidays to keep in mind when it comes to watering in Northern/Central Utah are:
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
These holidays are easy markers for the transitional time in watering schedules. For example, when it comes to your garden beds and lawn, Mother’s Day marks the time to start watering regularly. With clay soil, it means your garden beds should be watered every 7 days and your lawn every 5 days. Father’s Day marks the day to increase frequency, Labor Day to decrease frequency, and Columbus Day means it’s time to stop watering and start winterizing.
Watering Tip #3: Type of Watering
The type of soil you have as well as the irrigation system you use determines the length of time you should water your garden. For example, if you have clay soil your lawn should be watered for about 45 minutes if you’re using a rotating watering method but only about 25 minutes with a fixed watering method. Similarly, your clay soil garden beds should be watered for 60 minutes with a drip watering method but only 25 minutes with spray watering. Refer to the Conservation Garden Park chart for more information. 
Though these are great things to keep in mind, there will always be different factors, such as rainy weather or overspray by the neighbors, that can influence how much/for how long your garden and yard need to be watered.
If you have more questions on watering, we are here to help. Pop on over and chat with one of our experts any time.
Other useful links and resources:
Watering 101: How to Water Your New Plants
How Trees Can Help With a Waterwise Landscape
