Plants in December need one-third of the water they need in July!

As autumn and winter brings cooler weather and shorter days, MVWD encourages its customers to adjust their outdoor watering to conserve both water and money.

Shorter days means less sunlight, so plants stop growing like they did during spring and summer. Consequently, they need less water.

An appropriate reduction in watering will lead to lower water bills in the fall and winter.

Also, seasonal watering adjustments results in healthier plants by matching water applied to plant needs. Too much water is often applied to clay soils depriving plant roots of the oxygen they need to function.
Applying the right amounts of water produces healthier roots.

Some irrigation controllers allow a seasonal percentage adjustment, with 100 percent for summer applications, to make seasonal setbacks convenient.

A general rule for lawns is to water in the summer once every three days and water in the winter once every five days. Bermuda and other warm weather grasses are dormant (brown) in the winter and will only require water once every three to four weeks or less if it rains.

Click the link for a watering schedule appropriate for the Montclair area.