Watering Tips for Maintaining Landscapes as Colorado Drought Worsens

It’s been a tough summer so far for the state of Colorado. With the warm winter and record-low snowpack, 98 percent of Colorado has been wading through intense drought conditions, with 11 percent classified as “extreme.”

Inspired by a recent Vail Daily report and drought resources provided by Colorado State University, here are some tips for best watering practices and efficient irrigation management to help restore, maintain and protect gardens and landscapes during extremely dry conditions as the Colorado drought worsens.

• Switch your irrigation system from automatic to manual.
• Use the footprint test for lawns; only water when footprints last more than 3 or 4 minutes.
• To better gauge when soil is dry and needs water, set up a trough of soil that you can test for moisture.
• Withhold from watering transplants for a few days before moving to build their stamina and drought-tolerance.
• Water plants only in the early morning or late evening to minimize water loss through evaporation.
• Water less frequently, but water longer and more deeply; this will better prep your landscape to tolerate five days without water.