• Basic Watering Information
• General Tips
• Watering Device Types
• Common Irrigation Challenges
• Watering Schedule - Coastal Areas
• Watering Schedule - Coastal Valleys
• Watering Schedule - North County
• Irrigation Tips

Basic San Luis Obispo County Watering Information

What Time of Day Should I Water?

We recommend watering between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Watering within this window of time takes advantage of relatively low winds and less loss of water to evaporation.

How Long Should I Water?

In San Luis Obispo County, our soils vary from clay to sandy in our beach communities. Running an irrigation system on a lawn for more than five minutes in clay soils will result in runoff. On sandy soils, longer run times are possible. Precise watering times vary depending on the type of watering device, soil, slope and plants. See the Watering Schedules (Coastal Areas, Coastal Valleys, or North County) for detailed information.

Overwatering is the most common landscaping error for many home owners.

How Often Should I Water?

Water in the early morning hours between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. as follows:

SUMMER NO MORE THAN 3 OR 4 TIMES PER WEEK	FALL NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3 TIMES PER WEEK
SPRING NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3 TIMES PER WEEK	WINTER OCCASIONAL, ONLY  DURING EXTENDED PERIODS OF NO RAIN

Next - General Tips