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Wait — don’t irrigate

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Aerating your lawn helps water and nutrients reach the roots. Photo credit: iStock/MAsummerbreak.

When it comes to lawn watering, April is too early to go automatic.

Save plans to program your sprinkler system for later months, when the ground is less likely to retain wintertime moisture.

However, now is the time to dig in and start preparing for the summer watering season. Here’s how:

  1. Start from the bottom up and aerate your lawn. If you can, aerate after a rain or snow shower, which can help soften the soil for the process.
  2. Check the height and width of your trees, shrubs and perennials.
  3. Prune any overgrowth you find in step 2 — it makes excellent compost when shredded.

Denver Water’s annual summer watering rules start May 1 and last until Oct. 1.

Pro tip: When you program your sprinkler system this summer, have it run Tuesday and Thursday before 3 a.m., adding Sunday if needed during hot, dry weather. This will help shave peak water demand times on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings during irrigation season. Reducing the peak load on our water system reduces the need for costly infrastructure upgrades over the long-term.