From flex daily to water restrictions

Schedules & Zones Fixed Schedules
1

So, after a season of tinkering last year, I finally got the swing of my flex daily and the yard is looking fantastic. We’ve been in a ridiculous heat wave for Montana and almost all the lawns are super stressed, except mine. I’m giving deeper, more infrequent watering and the root health is showing up top. Win win!

However, we just got slapped with the first water restrictions in our city history. So now I’m limited to watering on even numbered days. Boo.

Here’s my question. The lawn has been doing great with watering 2-3x weekly with deep watering based on the intelligent schedule letting it run when it needs it. Now it seems the fixed daily will run 3-4x per week which doesn’t promote as good of root depth. It’s in effect for the next two months.

Also, the time periods for the 3-4x it’s suggesting seem much longer than the flex. Ex: the flex daily seemed to do 2-3x per week in backyard for about 1 hr 15 min (.4” flow rate MP Rotators). Setting up a fixed schedule for even days suggests 1 hr 45 min every other day!!! The first day of it resulted in water puddling at one slope for almost 2 hours after (ground soaked).

My question is, for a fixed schedule do I ignore the suggested run times and just keep altering the times through experimentation? I have done catch cup testing for each zone so I have an idea of precip rate. I really hate that I just got the love in my flex daily schedule to only have to shock my grass again back into a fixed schedule, but that’s life.

2

Since you’re so pleased with Flex Daily, you might try at least a zone using Flex Daily but with your every even day restriction. It’s not ideal, but it might work better than you think.

3

Are you referring to the time suggested in flex daily? I haven’t seen anywhere I can set it to odd days

4

When you first set up a new Flex Daily schedule, you can select Any Days, Select Days (of the week) or Odd/Even. Once set up, you can’t change it I think. As I said, it may not be ideal, but it’s closer to what you’re happy with. In hot weather, it will probably water every other day, then maybe every 4th day in cooler weather. If I were you, I’d compare the water/time applied during a week to see if it’s close to what you know works.

5

Ah. You’re the man. That’s why I come to this group. Totally didn’t think of that!

6

There should be exceptions to these laws for people with smart irrigation controllers.

The restrictions actually WASTE water for us smart controller users

7

Agreed. This is ironically using considerably more water than my other flex setting was.

8

While water in Charlotte, NC is pretty darn expensive, I do feel fortunate that with a Smart Controller (that I do have to pay to have inspected and submit an application every year), I get the lowest tier rate for irrigation water AND no restrictions until we get to Stage 4 (which so far, I’ve not seen us get too — if it’s that bad, I wouldn’t feel right watering the lawn anyway!).