When and How to Adjust Your Irrigation Schedule Seasonally
Watering your landscape shouldn’t look the same in July as it does in October. But you’d be surprised how many irrigation systems run the same schedule all year long.
A smart seasonal irrigation schedule helps your lawn thrive in every season, without wasting water, overwatering plants, or running up your utility bill. With just a few adjustments, you can match your system to Spokane’s weather and give your yard exactly what it needs.
Let’s walk through how to do that.
Why Your Irrigation Schedule Should Change With the Weather
Your plants are seasonal – your watering should be too.
Knowing when to adjust your irrigation schedule can make the difference between healthy roots and a soggy mess. As temperatures, daylight, and rainfall shift through the year, your lawn and garden will need more or less moisture.
Not only does this save water, but it helps prevent disease, weeds, and root problems. A dialed-in seasonal irrigation schedule keeps everything running more efficiently.
So if your sprinkler timer hasn’t changed since last spring, it’s time to take another look.
Spring: Start Slow and Watch Closely
Don’t crank up your system the first warm day of the year. Lawns need time to wake up.
For Spokane homeowners, a good spring watering schedule for lawns means 2–3 days per week, early in the morning. Let the sun do the drying, and avoid evening watering, which can lead to fungus.
As spring moves along, increase duration slightly, especially in sunny areas. But take it week by week, cooler mornings and spring rain can do more than you think.
Adjusting your irrigation timing by season early on helps your plants grow stronger roots right out of the gate.
Summer: Stick to a Routine, But Don’t Overdo It
Once Spokane’s summer heat kicks in, your system will have to work harder.
In summer, most lawns do best with longer, deeper watering 2–4 times per week. Use early morning or late evening cycles to reduce evaporation. Avoid watering at midday when the sun steals it before it soaks in.
Our Spokane irrigation schedule guide suggests setting zones based on sun exposure and soil type; not every zone needs the same run time.
Using the right irrigation timing by season means your system runs smarter, not longer.
Fall: Time to Dial It Back
Fall still brings warm days, but shorter daylight and cooler nights mean your grass won’t dry out as fast. That’s your cue to start tapering off.
One of our top fall irrigation schedule tips is to reduce watering frequency gradually. Shift from 3–4 days a week to 1–2. Then, when overnight temperatures start dipping into the 30s, shut it off completely.
Knowing when to adjust your irrigation schedule in the fall helps you avoid overwatering dormant roots and cuts down on runoff.
How to Adjust Your Controller (Without Guessing)
If your system has a timer, it also has seasonal settings – you just have to use them.
Learning how to adjust your irrigation controller for seasons doesn’t take long. Most modern systems have a “seasonal adjust” or “water budget” setting that lets you scale run times up or down based on the time of year.
Still stuck? Refer to the manual, or call a professional. Our team uses local weather patterns and real-time performance to tweak irrigation settings for every property we manage.
A good Spokane irrigation schedule guide should reflect the climate – not just a calendar.
Mistakes That Waste Water (and Money)
Even with a system in place, the wrong settings can cause trouble. Here are a few of the most common seasonal missteps:
- Watering at the wrong time of day
- Forgetting to reduce watering in cooler months
- Letting all zones run the same, regardless of sun, shade, or plant type
Avoiding these mistakes and following a seasonal irrigation schedule that adjusts as the year goes on keeps your system efficient and your landscape looking its best.
Delk Can Keep Your System on Track
Not sure what your current schedule looks like? Want help programming your controller? That’s where we come in.
At Delk, we adjust watering times by property, by season, and by Spokane’s unpredictable weather. From setting up a spring watering schedule for lawns to applying smart fall irrigation schedule tips, we handle it all.
We’ll show you how to adjust your irrigation controller for seasons, or take care of it for you as part of a full-service maintenance plan.
