Best practices for watering your lawn or garden

June 28, 1:21 PMCoastal Carolina Weather ExaminerGannon Medwick

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Irrigating?  Conserve water and money by watering early, watering late, and working with recent rainfall.

After a soggy May and early June (see my previous posts NOAA: Record-wettest May in parts of Southeast and Weather pattern favors more thunderstorms in NC), the latter half of June has turned a bit drier for many parts of central and eastern North Carolina.  If the recent scattered downpours have indeed been avoiding your lawn and / or garden, and if you've seen the mainly dry forecast for Sunday 6 / 28 through at least Wednesday 7 / 1, you may want to irrigate soon!  If so, you will waste less water if you follow these best practices for lawn / garden watering:

• Water early.  In central and eastern North Carolina in late June / early July, the sun rises between 5:45 and 6:10.  Ideal early morning watering time is between 5:30 and 7:00.
• Water late.  In central and eastern North Carolina in late June / early July, the sun sets between 8:15 and 8:40. Ideal late day watering time is between 7:50 and 9:20.
• Work with recent rainfall.  Take care to know how much rain has fallen at your location (keeping and monitoring a rain gauge is a fantastic way to do this).  Most North Carolina lawns will thrive on 1 - 1.5" of rainfall per week.  If nature provides this, don't think twice about skipping the irrigation!

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For updated weather forecasts for Eastern North Carolina, visit WNCT-TV Weather.