The correct way to water your Tucson and Green Valley landscape plants means you do not assume your landscaper and irrigation controller know more than the plants do. Although irrigation systems are a real time saver and are the most efficient way to water plants in the desert, they must be set correctly in order to be watering your plants sufficiently and efficiently.
For example, if you system is running every other day for 30 minutes, you need to reevaluate your watering schedule. This schedule is not watering plants long enough and deep enough, and is running way too often.
Although it depends on the size of the plant, you still need to water the entire root ball every time you water. For trees 7 to 10 years in canopy diameter, this means at least 6 hours with six 2 gallon per hour emitters spread out under the canopy (NOT at the trunk). In the winter months of January and February, desert trees only need water every 2 weeks. Remember: water deeply and less frequently. This is the key to happy desert plants and increasing drought tolerance. Both will save you time and money.
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