Garden Water Calculator
Do you need to water your lawn or garden?
Established lawns and shrubs and most vegetables and flowers need just one inch of water a week. If there has been an inch of rainfall during the week, you don't need to water at all. How can you tell if your yard has received an inch of water?
The calculator below determines how much additional water your lawn or garden needs, based on the rainfall recorded in your area over the last seven days.
ROSLINDALE RAIN GAUGE DATA IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE DUE TO THE BUILDING WHICH THE RAIN GAUGE IS ON, IS UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS. ONCE THE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETE, RAIN GAUGE DATA FOR ROSLINDALE WILL BE ACCESSIBLE AGAIN. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE USE A NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD'S GAUGE FOR ESTIMATED READINGS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
Also note that the daily rain gauge measurement function - which is updated every five minutes - is set by default to Eastern Standard Time (EST). During Daylight Saving, add one hour to the most recent rainfall reading to get a true real-time measurement of precipitation.
Although the Commission calibrates these devices periodically, they are subject to factors which may lead to inaccuracies. Snow, hail, severe weather, and tampering can affect the data.
Gardening Tips
When it rains, excess chemical, which can include pesticide and herbicides become runoff and pollute local waterways. By utilizing companion plants you can increase the productivity and health of your garden and use less pesticide and herbicides. Companion plants benefit surrounding plants with pest control, pollination or soil enrichment.
Common companion plants:
- Geraniums planted alongside roses will attract pests away from the roses
- French marigolds produce a natural pesticide from its roots and is a companion plant to most flowers and Yarrow improves overall soil quality and its leaves can be used as mulch
Tips for Reducing Water Use:
- Place plants that need a lot of water near each other and save time and water by only watering one area of your yard
- Use plants native to New England because they need relatively little water, fertilizer or care once established
- Use mulch in a garden to reduce water evaporation from soil and limit weed growth