Living in Reno, Nevada, means we expect hot, dry summers with little to no rain. In fact, Reno sits at 4,500 feet elevation, seeing over 300 days of sunshine and only receiving 7.5” (on average) of rainfall annually. 

Due to the semiarid climate, many households choose to have a desert landscape instead of grass. But for those who wish to keep a lush green yard, this begs the question, how long should each sprinkler zone run, and how often should I run my sprinklers?

Assigned Water Days

To ensure smart water use, The Truckee Meadows Water Authority has assigned specific water days to residents. These watering days only apply to sprinklers. If you have a drip irrigation system or need to water with a hose by hand, you can do so on any day.

• Even addresses: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays

• Odd addresses: Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays

TMWA also asks residents to avoid watering during the hottest part of the day (12 noon to 6 pm) between Memorial Day and Labor Day and for everyone to not water on Mondays to replenish the water system. 

Water Early

The best time to water your lawn is in the early mornings when more water will reach the roots before evaporating. Then, as the sun comes out and the air warms up, the newly watered grass will slowly dry out over the course of the day.

If you cannot water in the mornings, early evening is the next best time. Remember, in Reno/Sparks, we can have strong afternoon winds, which may blow the water away from the areas you are trying to reach. 

So check weather conditions before turning on those sprinklers. Also, leaving the lawn damp during nighttime can promote possible disease and mushrooms. So be mindful of the potential hazards of watering the lawn at night.

How Long Should Each Sprinkler Zone Run?

In Reno’s dry climate, our clay-based soil takes longer to absorb water, and the root systems can be reached with short but frequent watering.

To determine the time to run each sprinkler zone, we usually recommend setting each to run 3 or 4 times in the morning at durations of 7-14 minutes (dependent on the type of sprinkler you have). So ideal run times would be 3 am, 5 am, 7 am, and 8:30 am. 

In the hot summer months, lawns need about 1.5 to 2 inches of water per week. You can see how much water your lawn is getting by placing tin cans in your yard and measuring the amount of water in the cans after a water cycle. 

This will help in adjusting your sprinkler times. You can then increase or decrease the length of time for each zone. You can also measure the amount of water in each tin can to ensure that each area of your yard receives the same amount. If you notice that one can is receiving more or less water, you can adjust your sprinkler heads. 

Should The Percentage Feature Be Adjusted

Most irrigation systems come with a percentage feature. This feature allows you to control the percentage of the set time your sprinkler system will run. For example, if you have set your sprinkler to run for 10 minutes and the percentage feature is set to 100%, the system will run for the full 10 minutes. 

During the hot summer months, keep the percentage at 100%. During the cooler months (fall and spring), reduce the percentage according to the temperature. You can start to reduce the percentage in September and back off the length of time you water until you shut the system down for the winter. 

Call In The Experts

You may need to call an expert to get your sprinkler system set up correctly. Proper watering and a tuned-up sprinkler system are key to a healthy lawn! When it comes to sprinkler maintenance, we can make it rain. While not in the installation business, we can quickly diagnose, adjust, and repair your sprinkler system with our licensed irrigation technician.

Contact Cory’s Lawn Service and let us help you get your sprinkler system running properly, so your lawn stays healthy all year long!