By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Now that the sun is out and the temperatures are warming, Hays residents may want to start watering their yards and landscapes.

That’s not yet necessary, according to Hays Water Conservation Specialist Holly Dickman. Thanks to plentiful rains earlier this month, the soil is saturated.

“Only water when necessary,” Dickman stresses.

“Water deeply and infrequently during this time of year to encourage deep, drought tolerant roots. If we get good root systems under our turf grass, our trees, our shrubs, our flowers, we will be less in need of irrigation later on in the summer when it gets really hot and dry.”

You can check the soil saturation using a probe, such as a long screwdriver. When the probe hits resistance, it’s likely hit dry soil – the depth to which the moisture has reached.

Dickman recommends turfgrass or lawns be watered to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, while flowers and vegetable gardens should be watered to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Trees and shrubs sold be watered to a depth of 12 to 18 inches where the bulk of their roots are located.

“Watering much deeper than these recommendations is a waste of water,” says Dickman.

It’s best to water early in the morning to take advantage of lower wind speeds, less evaporation and higher humidity levels.

“Watering at this time of day also allows plant leaves to dry off quickly, lessening the threat of potential disease problems,” Dickman added.

Limited outdoor watering hours will be in effect from June 1 to September 30 in Hays. No outdoor watering will be allowed between noon and 7 p.m. by city water customers or those with private water wells.

The Kansas Dept. of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources issues the control order for private wells at the request of the city of Hays.