These were provided by Rudy Benavides, Sandoval County Extension Program Director and Agriculture Agent, at a Water Coop Annual Meeting (2007?).
- Just because the weather man says it was a one inch rainfall, don’t think that you got one inch – runoff, local conditions, etc.
- Your rain gauge reads one inch = runoff
- Sandy soil absorbs water faster: true.
Sandy soil also loses water at faster rate = soil pores. - Mulching will hold more water – if applied by drip: Yes. If done by mother nature: No.
- One foot of snow equates to one inch of water.
- One inch of water on sandy soils will penetrate one foot of soil, eight inches in loam, and one inch in clay. Storing: sandy solids one inch; loam two inches; clay three inches.
- When you get moisture is most important: winter, spring, summer or fall.
- Best time to water. Most book experts say irrigate early in the morning. I prefer that irrigation is best if applied between 6:00 PM to 10:00 AM. Evening water pressure is more constant. Will not damage plants. Never [water] during heat of day except when planting a new lawn.
- Check sprinklers often and also drip emitters.
- New plantings requite constant moisture.
- Older plantings can get by with less water.
- Tree should be a priority as it takes so long to grow.
Apply 10 gallons of water / inch of a tree’s diameter (measured at knee height). A 2 inch diameter tree needs 20 gallons of water. Trees absorb water best when water is allowed to soak deeply to a depth of 12 inches. - During October to March, water one to two times per month if no rain or snow. It takes one full year per inch of trunk for tree to get established – 7 inch diameter new tree will take 7 years.