GREENSBORO, N.C. — With these hot summer days, I’m seeing more and more of my neighbors waking up at sunrise to water their plants and lawns.
Wouldn't it be nice to turn on the water for your lawn, plants, or garden, right from your bed?
“Smart hose timers are basically just timers you can control on your phone. It helps with making sure you're not overwatering your plants,” said Misha Kollontai of Consumer Reports.
A smart hose timer kit is pretty easy to install and some even come with a rain delay function. Consumer Reports likes the Diivoo Smart Sprinkler as the best value. it's right under $50 and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
The editor's choice is $99 and testing had the easiest setup process. The pick for Apple Home Users is the Eve Aqua at $149. You can tie it into your Apple TV or Apple Home Pod.
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR LAWN IS GETTING ENOUGH WATER?
A rain gauge is the most accurate way to see how much water your lawn is getting. You should put it where it's exposed to sprinklers and rainfall.
Consumer Reports estimates most grasses need about 1 inch of water per week in the growing season. To know how long to water your lawn, put several rain gauges around the yard. Run the sprinklers for 10 minutes. If the gauges measure one-quarter inch it will take 40 minutes to apply 1 inch of water.
When it's hot, you want to let make sure you cut your grass using the highest setting. Higher grass helps keep the moisture in.