July Gardening Tips for the Mountain West and High Plains

Midsummer heat means irrigation season is in full swing. Use these tips to make the most of your watering efforts:

Inspect all irrigation systems to ensure you're not wasting water through broken or poorly aimed sprinkler heads.

If your system is on an automatic timer, add a weather station component to fine-tune water application based on rainfall.

Trees and shrubs that aren't drought-tolerant typically grow best when watered deeply every 10 to 14 days. It's best to water deeply and infrequently than shallowly and often.

Avoid watering during the heat of the day, when more water will evaporate than soak into soil. Water before 10 A.M. and after 6 P.M.

Test Garden Tip: An effective way to water established trees and shrubs is to lay a soaker hose in the area beneath the dripline.