Winterizing Your Landscape the Shelly Landscaping Way: A Simple Guide for Albuquerque Homeowners

As winter approaches in Albuquerque, you might be wondering how to take care of your irrigation system and landscape. Here at Shelly Landscaping, we design our installations so that winterization is as easy and low-maintenance as possible.

No Need to Blow Out the Lines

One of the most common misconceptions we hear is that every irrigation system needs to be “blown out” with compressed air before winter. That might be true in colder climates or for installations by other companies, but our systems are designed with gravity drainage in mind. Most of the water naturally drains out on its own, and any small amount that remains is in durable polyethylene (poly) tubing, the same kind used in cold-climate systems, which is flexible and freeze-tolerant.

Unless your system was installed differently or has unusual low points, blow-outs aren’t typically needed here in Albuquerque. That means less stress and no extra fall appointment required.

Built for Albuquerque’s Climate

In our region, we know that it freezes at night but often warms up during the day. That’s one of the reasons we install irrigation supply lines on top of the weed barrier. This simple step means that on those sunny afternoons, the lines can warm up and thaw out naturally. If water in the lines does freeze overnight, it can melt in the sun rather than stay frozen underground all day.

Easy Maintenance and Repairs

Another advantage of placing the supply line on top of the weed barrier is that any future repairs are much simpler. If you ever have a leak or need to check something, you won't have to dig through layers of gravel, then cut the fabric, then dig into the ground to find the supply line. It’s all accessible, meaning less hassle and no compromise to your weed barrier.

How to Water in Winter

The biggest thing we recommend for winterization is adjusting your watering schedule. When it’s consistently below freezing, you can turn the timer off entirely and just water manually on a warm afternoon every couple of weeks. This keeps your plants healthy without risking frozen lines.

A Friendly Reminder Service

As a bonus, if you’d like a little nudge when it’s the perfect time to water, we offer a Winter Watering Reminder. It’s a quick message we send out on those sunny winter days when temperatures rise just enough to safely water your landscape. It’s free, helpful, and another way we make sure your yard thrives all year long.

Key Takeaways

• No blow-out needed for most systems we install.
• Turn off your timer when it’s consistently freezing overnight.
• Manually water on warmer afternoons, between 1-3 PM, every 1–2 weeks.
• Enjoy peace of mind knowing repairs on our systems are easy if needed.
• Let us know if you’d like to sign up for watering reminders so you don’t forget.

Want Help or Have Questions?

If you didn’t get your irrigation system from us or you’re not sure what type of setup you have, we’re happy to inspect it and let you know what winterization steps make sense. Just give us a call or fill out the contact form on our website. 

Also, keep in mind that cooler temperatures make for a great time and environment to introduce new plants. They are typically dormant at this time and do well establishing over the winter. 

Winter might slow things down, but with the right prep, your landscape doesn’t have to suffer. Let’s keep it healthy, the easy way.