The Front Range is well-known for its crazy wind storms in the spring. Gusts can get well over 70 miles per hour, taking out fences, trees, and even causing power outages. When the winds kick up, watering your home’s landscaping can become a huge challenge. Even the best-maintained sprinkler system won’t be able to do a great job keeping your plants hydrated when it’s gusty. That doesn’t change the fact that our dry climate makes it imperative that you stick to a regular watering and plaint maintenance schedule. So, how can you keep your plants in good shape when the wind picks up? Here’s what your Denver sprinkler repair team wants you to know.

Change Your Programming

Most modern sprinkler systems allow you to program a watering schedule into the unit. The system will follow that schedule unless you tell it to skip a day or if your rain sensors detect enough water to make it unnecessary to run your sprinkler system. If the wind kicks up and it looks like it’s going to interfere with your watering schedule, change the programming. 

Winds typically die down at night or early in the morning and pick back up during the afternoon. This leaves you with the perfect window to water your plants: any time before mid-morning. When you water during this time, you won’t have to worry about losing spray to the wind or leaving your plants lacking the moisture they need to thrive. 

Water By Hand 

If the wind is bad enough and you forgot to change the programming, your plants will still need a little TLC. Unfortunately, the best way to take care of their hydration needs is to water them by hand. This can take time but if you’re really worried about your lawn, it’s well worth the effort. Use a spray nozzle on your hose and spray close to the turf. 

As a general rule, it’s best to water by hand only if your yard truly needs it. If you can, wait another day or two until the wind dies down completely. This way, you won’t have to waste water and you’ll spare yourself the potential backache that comes from bending down over your grass.

Bring Potted Plants Inside

Serious wind gusts don’t just pose a risk to your home’s fence line. They also pose a risk to your potted and hanging plants. Instead of leaving them outside to get battered by the wind, bring them indoors. Once the wind dies down, you can put them back outside. But leaving them exposed to the wind and flying debris is the fastest way to guarantee that they won’t make it through the growing season. 

If, for any reason, you can’t bring your plants indoors, try to move them to a sheltered spot in the yard. Give the pots something to brace against so they won’t topple over during the windstorm. They may still lose some of their leaves and flowers, but they’ll likely be able to survive the wind.

Support Younger Trees

Young trees take time to get established in the soil. Their roots are often shallower and they’re more likely to get damaged by high wind conditions. The best thing you can do to keep them in good shape is to add supports around the trunk.

All you need to do is drive a few sturdy stakes into the soil a few feet away from the trunk. Be careful where you place them—the last thing you want to do is accidentally hurt the roots. Then, use landscaping ties to secure the trunks of the trees to the stakes. If you’re not comfortable doing this on your own, contact your landscaping team and ask them to help. They’ll be able to make sure your trees are protected from windstorms quickly and can make sure the roots aren’t damaged by the placement of the stakes.

Cover Sensitive Flower Beds

When winds kick up, it’s normal for flowers to lose their petals. During the height of the growing season, this can spell disaster for the look and feel of your garden. The best way to protect those flowering plants is to cover them with a durable tarp.

Keep in mind that you’ll want the tarp to be suspended over the bed. It shouldn’t touch the flowers themselves as this will just cause the petals to drop more quickly. Once the winds die down, you can remove the tarp and let your flowers do their thing.

Stay On Top of Pruning 

One of the best ways to protect your landscaping from high winds is to stay on top of pruning and trimming. This helps remove excess growth, reducing the weight your plants have to deal with. When the winds do kick up, the pruned and trimmed shrubs and trees will then have stronger supports and can better withstand those windy conditions. Even better, you’ll prevent unwanted breakage in the long-term.

Get Your System Tuned Up Ahead of Time

When you’re battling with windy conditions, you want every watering session to count. This means you need to know that your sprinkler system is in good shape at all times. Schedule a regular tune-up at the beginning of spring and let your repair team inspect the system for signs of damage or wear and tear. If they see anything, they’ll be able to fix it quickly so you can start relying on your sprinkler system immediately. 

During that tune-up, listen to their suggestions, too. If your system is old or outdated, it may be better for both your budget and your plants to replace your old sprinklers with new and more water-efficient technology. 

Schedule an Inspection Today

At Water Solutions Sprinkler Service, we want to help you keep your yard looking great no matter the weather. Our dedicated team will help you keep your sprinkler system working properly so you can count on it to water your lawn when it needs it most. Don’t wait to schedule an inspection. Contact us today and make an appointment before the growing season is in full swing.