How Winter Watering Can Benefit your Colorado Springs Landscape
Here is CSU's (Colorado Springs Utilities) advice on how to make sure your yard emerges beautifully in the spring through winter watering. Read the original article by clicking here.
If you’ve ever experienced the discouragement of lawn winter kill or dead landscape plants in spring, you may want to try winter watering.
Even though landscape plants are dormant and brown, they should be watered periodically. Dry winter months often kill plants through dehydration. By choosing to winter water, your lawn and landscape plants will have a much better chance of greening up beautifully when the warm weather of spring returns.
A word to the wise, too. Shrubs and trees that don't receive regular water will search for hydration on their own, often times in your wastewater pipes. Roots are a common cause of pipe damage, and repairs can be messy and costly. Service lines are the homeowner's responsibility, so have pipes checked at least once a year or more if you live in a long-established, heavily-treed neighborhood.
Finally, keep in mind that your wastewater bill is calculated using the amount of water used Dec. 1 through the last day of February. This means that most of the water you use will be interpreted as wastewater during the winter. Using more water during the winter means that your ADU will go up, and you'll be charged for that, so keep that in mind during winter watering. Here is a video explaining.
When You Need to do Winter Watering
- Choose a warm winter day (above 40 °F) when the soil is not frozen
- Water 1-2 times/month from November to April
- Water in March and April when new roots are forming
- Water at mid-day so the water soak in before it freezes
What Needs Winter Watering
- Newly-planted lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers
- Established lawn areas and trees, especially those in sunny, windy, or exposed areas
- Established shrubs, flowers, ornamental grasses, and ground cover
What Does not Need Winter Watering
Colorado Cacti  | Succulents | Buffalo Grass  | Blue Grama | Xeriscape Plants |
How to do the Best Winter Watering
- Use a hose-end sprinkler or watering wand, as automatic sprinkler systems should remain off
- Remove the hose you use from the spigot after watering to prevent freeze damage
- Water slowly so it can soak in
- Calculate how long to water. Put out cups, and water until you can measure 0.5-1” of water in the cups
