It’s natural to have a few brown spots in your yard during the peak summer months.

Really. It’s OK.

Those summertime blemishes are symptoms of heat stress, and a signal for you to adjust your watering habits.

If you’re feeling wiped out by our recent heat wave, chances are your irrigation system is facing the same exhaustion.

At Denver Water, we don’t even need to turn on the weather report to know what’s going on outside. When it rains, we watch water use plummet. When we hit a string of 90-plus degree days, (16 in the last 30 days) we see irrigation systems working harder.

But working harder doesn’t necessarily mean being smarter. So we turned to our friends at the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado for some watering tips to help quell a heat-stressed yard.

Tip 1: Inspect your yard and irrigation system.
Perform this simple screwdriver test to ensure your yard is getting enough water — especially in the brown areas. Next, visually inspect your irrigation system and adjust your sprinkler heads so they are firing at full pressure and are aligned to cover all areas of your yard. Learn about head-to-head coverage in just 15 seconds. If you don’t have an irrigation system, or need to replace your existing system, we recommend installing a WaterSense-labeled smart sprinkler controller. Denver Water offers up to a $100 rebate for qualifying models. Scared of operating your controller? Take a trip to the Twilight Zone to help ease your mind.

Tip 2: Swap out non-efficient sprinkler heads.
Take advantage of our $3 rebate per sprinkler head and replace them with eligible rotary/high-efficiency nozzles. Rotary/high-efficiency nozzles fit most pop-up spray heads and provide better coverage and larger droplets, helping reduce brown spots in your yard. See how rotary nozzles out-spin the competition in this short video.

Tip 3: Give them a hand.
If temps remain high for a few days, hand-water those brown spots to give them some extra TLC. Avoid running the entire sprinkler system longer just to deal with problem areas because that wastes water and adds to your water bill. Don’t forget to use a shut-off nozzle on your hose to avoid unnecessary watering.

Remember, watering too much does not make brown spots go away. Brown spots can also be signs of grass-sickness, such as necrotic ring spots or ascochyta, both attributable to over-watering.

Learn more from a certified landscaping professional at the ALCC website.

Keeping your lawn healthy and happy is a responsibility that requires constant attention and adjustments, from properly installing and upgrading your irrigation system to keeping up with the routine maintenance,

Have no fear! Visit denverwater.org/conservation for more tips, including rebate information.