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5 To set the controller for your planting beds, determine which is the predominant plant in each area. Set the timer for those areas using the charts on back. If your main plant is not found on the back, use the free publication shown at the right: http://www.owue.water.ca.gov/docs/wucols00.pdf 4 Look at your walkways during the fi rst watering. If there is runoff from the lawn or beds that is not from overspray onto concrete, note how long the sprinklers run before the runoff occurs. This is the maximum time your system should run at one setting. If Step 2 determined that 15 minutes were needed each day, and runoff occurs at 8 minutes, then set your timer to come on for 7-8 minutes 2 times, or 5 minutes 3 times, with at least one hour between each watering. 3 Set the timer to turn on the sprinklers early in the morning and to run for the time needed. For example, if the chart indicates that you need to water for 45 minutes per week this month, set the timer to come on at 6:00 am for 15 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. During the winter months, you can usually turn the system off , since the rainwater received by your lawn will be suffi cient. 2 Look at the tables on the next pages. Find your region and the current month for your type of grass. It will show the total recommended minutes for watering each week for your sprinkler system’s output in inches per hour. If the time is more than 15 minutes, divide it into 2, 3, or 4 waterings separated by a day or two. 1 Measure how much water per hour your sprinklers put out: place some tuna cans or other straight-sided containers around your lawn or throughout your planting beds, and run the sprinklers for 15 minutes. Average the depth of water in the cans and multiply by 4. This is your sprinkler output in inches per hour. ---PAGE BREAK--- Water Usage of Common Landscape Plants Find your predominant plant below, and its water use classifi cation. Consult the tables on the next two pages for your timer settings. If your plant is not listed below: Consult this online publication: http://www.owue.water.ca.gov/docs/wucols00.pdf. 1) Look on p.57 to fi nd your region. 2) Look on p. 101 to fi nd the offi cial name of the plant if you only know the common name. 3) Look on pages 61-99 to fi nd your plant’s listing as Low, Medium, or High water use for your region. PLANT NAME WATER USE BY AREA COMMON SCIENTIFIC COASTAL INLAND DESERT:L-H Abelia Abelia xgrandifl ora M M N/A African daisy Osteospermum fruticosa L L M-N/A Azalea Rhododendron (various species and hybrids) M H N/A Barberry Berberis thunbergii L L M-L Begonia Begonia semperfl orens M M M-N/A Boxwood Buxus sempervirens and hybrids M M M California lilac Ceanothus (various species) L L N/A-L Camellia Camellia (various species) M H-M H-N/A Cotoneaster Cotoneaster (various species) L-M M M Coyote brush Baccharis pilularis L L N/A Crape Lagerstroemia indica M M M Daylily Hemerocallis hybrids M M M Escallonia Escallonia hybrids M M M-N/A Euonymus Euonymus (various species and hybrids) M M M Euryops Euryops pectinatus L-M L-M M False heather Cuphea hyssopifolia M M N/A Fountain Grass Pennisetum setaceum (‘Rubrum’) M L L Fortnight lily, African iris Dietes (various species and hybrids) M M M-N/A Gazania Gazania hybrids M M M Heavenly bamboo Nandina domestica L M M Hydrangea Hydrangea (various species and hybrids) M M H Indian hawthorn Raphiolepsis indica M M M Juniper Juniperus (various species and hybrids) L L-M L-M Lantana Lantana camara, L. montevidensis, hybrids L L M-N/A Lily-of-the-Nile Agapanthus praecox orientalis M M M-N/A Mock Orange Pittosporum (various species) M M M Myoporum Myoporum parvifolium L L M-N/A New Zealand fl ax Phormium tenax L M M-N/A Photinia Photinia fraseri M M M Privet Ligustrum japonicum M M M Rose Rosa hybrids M M H (some M) Star Jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides M M M Verbena Verbena hybrids L-M L-M M-N/A Viburnum Viburnum (various species and hybrids) M M M-N/A Vinca Vinca minor major is considered invasive) M M M ---PAGE BREAK--- Watering Guide for Southern California FOR YOUR LAWN: Find the table below for your region, cut it out, highlight the column for your sprinkler output, and hang it by your irrigation controller. If your lawn looks best in summer, use the warm season grass chart; if it looks best in late fall and early spring, use the cool-season grass chart. FOR BEDS: If your main plant is a HIGH water user, use the time for a cool-season grass; if MEDIUM, use the time for a warm season grass; if LOW, use ½ the time for a warm-season grass. Region 9: Southern California Coast Warm Season Grass Cool Season Grass Minutes per week to water if your hourly sprinkler output is: Minutes per week to water if your hourly sprinkler output is: ½ in 1 in 1 ½ in 2 in ½ in 1 in 1 ½ in 2 in JAN 44 22 15 11 JAN 59 29 20 15 FEB 57 28 13 14 FEB 76 38 25 19 MAR 63 32 21 16 MAR 84 42 28 21 APR 76 38 25 19 APR 101 50 34 25 MAY 88 44 29 22 MAY 118 59 39 29 JUN 95 47 32 24 JUN 126 63 42 32 JUL 107 54 36 27 JUL 143 71 48 36 AUG 95 47 33 24 AUG 126 63 42 32 SEP 82 41 27 20 SEP 109 55 36 27 OCT 69 35 23 17 OCT 92 46 31 23 NOV 50 25 17 13 NOV 67 34 22 17 DEC 38 19 13 9 DEC 50 25 17 13 Region 10: Southern Inland Valleys Warm Season Grass Cool Season Grass Minutes per week to water if your hourly sprinkler output is: Minutes per week to water if your hourly sprinkler output is: ½ in 1 in 1 ½ in 2 in ½ in 1 in 1 ½ in 2 in JAN 42 21 14 10 JAN 42 21 14 11 FEB 57 28 19 14 FEB 75 38 25 19 MAR 80 40 27 20 MAR 106 53 35 27 APR 96 48 32 24 APR 128 64 43 32 MAY 119 60 40 29 MAY 159 80 53 40 JUN 144 72 48 36 JUN 193 96 64 48 JUL 165 83 55 41 JUL 221 110 74 55 AUG 155 77 52 39 AUG 207 103 69 52 SEP 124 62 41 31 SEP 165 82 55 41 OCT 88 44 29 22 OCT 117 59 39 29 NOV 54 27 18 14 NOV 73 36 24 18 DEC 42 21 14 10 DEC 55 28 19 14 Region11: Deserts Warm Season Grass Cool Season Grass Minutes per week to water if your hourly sprinkler output is: Minutes per week to water if your hourly sprinkler output is: ½ in 1 in 1 ½ in 2 in ½ in 1 in 1 ½ in 2 in JAN 54 27 18 14 JAN 65 32 22 17 FEB 75 38 25 19 FEB 90 46 30 23 MAR 121 61 40 30 MAR 145 73 48 36 APR 165 83 55 41 APR 198 100 66 49 MAY 211 106 70 53 MAY 253 127 84 64 JUN 243 121 81 61 JUN 292 145 97 73 JUL 251 126 84 63 JUL 301 151 101 76 AUG 218 109 73 54 AUG 262 131 88 65 SEP 180 90 60 45 SEP 216 108 72 54 OCT 121 61 40 30 OCT 145 73 48 36 NOV 69 35 23 17 NOV 83 42 28 20 DEC 43 22 14 11 DEC 52 26 17 13 ---PAGE BREAK--- Authors: Lorence (Loren) R. Oki, Ph.D. CE Specialist, Landscape Horticulture UC Cooperative Extension UC Davis, Dept. of Plant Sciences (530) 754-4135 [EMAIL REDACTED] Darren L. Haver, Ph.D. CE Water Resources/Quality Advisor Director, South Coast Research & Extension Center UC Cooperative Extension Orange County (714) 708-1613 [EMAIL REDACTED] For more detailed information, visit the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns web site at: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF or view these free publications: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8044.pdf http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/7227.pdf Karrie Reid, M.S. CE Environmental Horticulture Advisor UC Cooperative Extension (209) 953-6109 [EMAIL REDACTED] Tammy Majcherek Program Representative UC Davis, Dept. of Plant Sciences South Coast Research & Extension Center (949) 733-3970 [EMAIL REDACTED]