August 2026

Instead of running your sprinkler system for one long, continuous period on your lawn watering day, with the cycle and soak method, you:

1. Reference the Thornton Watering Guide and divide your total watering time by three.
2. Water each zone for the shorter, divided period.
3. Allow the water to soak into the ground for roughly an hour. 
4. Repeat the cycle twice more until you have completed your watering.

Cycle and soak is easier than it sounds. As an example, if you have fixed spray nozzles, we recommend 20 minutes per zone per watering day in August. Program your zone run times to 7 minutes per zone with 3 start times, for a total zone run time of 21 minutes, getting you close to the recommended 20 minutes, on your 2 chosen watering days.

Why does it work? 

Watering in short cycles allows the water to soak into the soil and roots and minimizes water sitting on the surface, where it becomes prone to evaporation and runoff. The cycle and soak method is more efficient because it gives your grass time to absorb water into the soil before applying more water. 



Read our cycle and soak fact sheet for more information or read our blog post on drought watering for more tips and tricks to save outdoors this summer.