at MadALwx
Local Soil Analysis
| Soil Temperatures | |||||||||
| Sensor/Depth | Now | High | Low | Rec Hi | Rec Lo | September Hi | September Lo | 2011 Hi | 2011 Lo |
| Hill (S2) @ 3" | 73°F | 73 | 73 | / |
/ |
82 9/1 |
67 9/6 |
86 8/3 |
37 1/16 |
| Ground (S1) @ 3" | 74°F | 74 | 74 | 93 8/2009 |
36 1/2010 |
82 9/1 |
73 9/21 |
85 8/3 |
41 1/14 |
| Other Conditions | |||||||||
| Sensor/Condition | Daily Observation | Addt'l Obs | |||||||
| S2 Soil Moisture-Hill Top @ 3 in | (Lo) 200cb - 200 - 200cb (Hi) | ||||||||
| S1 Soil Moisture-Pond Rim @ 3 in | (Lo) 41cb - 41 - 41cb (Hi) | ||||||||
| Last Precip: | 0.00 in. | 9/23/2011 | |||||||
| Evapotranspiration (ET) | 7-Day Index:1 -0.614 in | Rate:2 0.00 in/day | |||||||
2ET Rate of Loss: .1"/day is low, >.25"/day is high-usual during Summer
Precip amounts of .01" are indicative of dew, frost, mist, fog, or a very brief shower.
| S1/S2 cb | Soil Moisture | |
| The centibar (cb) is an agricultural unit of soil water tension (water pressure on plant roots) | ||
| 101-200 | Soil is becoming dangerously dry for maximum production. | |
| 61-100 | Usual range to irrigate heavy clay soils. | |
| 31-60 | Usual range to water (except heavy clay soils). Water at the upper end of this range in cool humid climates and with higher water-holding capacity. | |
| 11-30 | Soil is adequately wet (except coarse sands which are drying out at this range). | |
| 0-10 | Saturated Soil. Occurs for a day or two after rain or irrigation. | |
ET describes the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the surface to the atmosphere. Evaporation is the movement of water to the air from the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies. Transpiration is the movement of water within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as vapor through stomata in its leaves. |
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Determine your soil composition: Soil Survey
| S1 74°F | Southern Grass Growth Stage |
| 110-120F | Root growth ceases/Shoot growth ceases. |
| 80-90F | Optimum shoot growth. |
| 75-85F | Optimum root growth. |
| 74F | Optimum time to overseed bermudagrass with ryegrass in the fall. Time to plant grasses in the spring. |
| 64F | Expected spring root decline triggered and roots die within 1 or 2 days. |
| 50F | Root growth begins to slow below this temperature. Chilling injury resulting in discoloration is possible. Initiation of dormancy occurs resulting in discoloration. |
| 25F | Low temperature kill possible. |
Lawn Mizer
The 7-Day Index -0.614 " is a very useful and accurate guide used to determine how much water is needed to maintain your turf/garden.
It is derived by taking the last 7 days of rainfall (0.177") minus the last
7-Day ET (0.791"), measured by MadALwx. The index represents the amount
of water needed to replace that lost by ET over the last week. (A positive 7-Day Index means excess water.)
Start by determining your sprinkler's output:
Using some small cans (pet food, tuna), measure the depth of the water in them after about a 20min sprinkler run.
Take the avg from all the cans. Divide the avg amount of water by the time (in decimals of an hr) (20min = .33) your
sprinklers ran.
eg. You measured .5 inches of water in a 20 minute cycle (20 min = 0.33 hrs), then:
0.5 inch / 0.33 hours = 1.52"/hr.
Enter your sprinkler's flow rate and times/week that you'll water.
Water Saving idea is from Eldorado Weather.
I thought it would be better to make a calculator.
Code help from Michael Holden at www.relayweather.com and Ken True at Saratoga Wx.
Soil/garden conditions are monitored by a Davis Wireless Soil Monitoring station and Weather Station. Data is collected every 1sec and the site is updated every 10-60sec. The combined station is comprised of an anemometer, barometer, temperature and humidity sensors, rain gauge, solar radiation sensor, 2 soil moisture sensors, and 4 thermo-hydro sensors positioned in the soil at the top of the hill and along the pond rim (measuring ground temps and providing soil moisture condition).
