I have a recipe for French bread. Toward the end of the cooking time, it suggests opening the oven and misting the bread with water from a spray bottle, which will give the top of the bread a nice golden crust.I have a pet peeve. I'd like to share it.
It drives me nuts when people water their lawns in the heat of the day. Just like squirting water onto the French bread to make it crispy, all they're doing is toasting their lawn. The ideal time to water your lawn is at night, when it can seep into the soil all night long and fortify the grass against the heat of the sun the next day. If you're watering during the day, all you're doing is wasting water, and in heat like this (we hit 100 today) some of it's evaporating before it ever hits the grass.
What I really think is extra sad is when people go outside to hand water during the afternoon. They're standing there with a hose for twenty minutes at a time, wasting water, wasting their time, at once! Is that supposed to be efficient? "I don't want to waste water and time separately -- I'll combine them. Isn't that efficient?" First off, have they never heard of a sprinkler, and secondly, water after the sun goes down!
If people all over the world would unite in this one simple cause, not only would our lawns be happier, but so would I. And isn't that what it's all about, folks? Making Tristi happy?
16 comments:
How about the people that have sprinkler systems and they're running during a rain storm? Can't they be shut off? Another huge waste of water. We're in a drought situation here in Georgia and can't do outdoor watering.
I love your last line!!
In San Antonio, it's prohibited, yearround, to water the laws between 10am and 8pm. People can get big fines for it. I don't see the point of watering midday - it's too hot, the sun will suck anything up anyway.
I hate that too. But what I hate even more? When people water their sidewalks or the road. (Usually it's an automatic system that's gone haywire, but still...)
I hate that too. But what I hate even more? When people water their sidewalks or the road. (Usually it's an automatic system that's gone haywire, but still...)
Oh, if we are all for combining and efficency, then when they start watering at night, they can make me happy too. Two pet peeves for one action!
We don't water period. We're lazy and eco-friendly like that.
Tristi,
I'm proud to say that our household would make you happy! We water before the sun comes up. Also we don't use the hose as a broom to "sweep" off our driveway which is a pet peeve of mine. Is it really that hard to push a broom?
I agree that people who operate their sprinklers during the heat of the day have missed the point. The best time to water, however, is in the morning before 9 am. if you water at midnight or early morning you are opening your grass up to fungus diseases.
and I'm not one of them, but the guys that water spots are doing just that, watering spots and they get their thinking done by doing it. some of us twiddle our thumbs.
seriously. the guys that spot water, although it would be better in the morning, they are getting the water into the roots during the time when the lawn can use it most. kind of like when I sit in the sun all day and crave a good drink of water. would that we could all water by hand. there would be less waste through evaporation.
I'm with you though. we should start a campaign against afternoon water wasters. you go girl.
I didn't know that about the fungus, Keith. But I was mostly right! Right?
During some of the drought years in Utah, they have prohibited watering during the day like they do in San Antonio. But even if it's not prohibited, wouldn't just that fact that they do prohibit it sometimes clue you in that it's not a good time to water your lawn in general?
I've also heard it's best to water for longer periods of time, less often. That really gets the water to sink deep into the roots and make the grass healthier. There's also less water waste than if all the water you put down evaporates by mid-morning.
Anyway, I just wanted to agree with you. I hate seeing mists of water evaporate right out of the sprinklers without even hitting the ground.
I share your pet peeve. We do have water restrictions in our county, and are only allowed to water on certain days and at certain times of the day.
So when do you get to play in the sprinklers?
I grew up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon - until I moved to Utah, the only thing we ever used our sprinkler for was playing in during the summer afternoons. It's still weird to me that grass should have to be watered every day.
I hate the desert.
Tristi - I am so totally with you on this one. In my neighborhood they tend to think of me as the water police. I go walking in the morning and I see all the broken sprinkler heads that people are missing because they are still asleep. (Don't worry, I let them know once it's a reasonable hour)
Weston - you don't have to water everyday, in fact, the greenhouse guys on KSL will tell you that if you water everyday you are putting your lawn on "life support." The roots never have to go deep to get water if they get a surface watering everyday. It is best to water DEEPLY and less often.
Keith is right, it is best to water in the morning to avoid fungus, but everything else is RIGHT ON! I wish Utah was more serious about educating people and encouraging water conservation. Instead they seem to wait until it is a dire water situation, THEN they try to implement drastic water conservation measures. Let's start being PRO-active people!
(In case you can't tell, this is one of my MAJOR pet-peeves!)
Yes my husband's pet peeve too! You cracked me up! :)
Well we're in strict water restrictions so we haven't been able to water our yards/gardens (unless you use tank water or bucket it out from inside the house) in a few years. When I did water my yard it was always early evening, sun was going down but was still light out. AND..you won't like this...but I would stand holding the hose. :o) To me it wasn't wasting time it was time ALONE. Lost in my thoughts. Relaxation. No need to sit by a stream and lazily dream...just stand in the cool of the afternoon and listen to the water from the hose. :o)
I would only do that with the front yard and I could wave at neighbours as they'd pass. The back yard was always a sprinkler but even then I'd kill two birds with one stone....The kids would play under the sprinkler. :o)
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