Cycle Soaking Irrigation

saves water and promotes healthier landscapes

What is Cycle-and-Soak Irrigation?

Cycle soaking is an efficient irrigation technique that divides watering into multiple short intervals with breaks in between, allowing water to properly soak into the soil.

Close-up of rich, textured soil with scattered particles.

Ideal for Clay Soils

Clay soils have slow water absorption rates. Cycle soaking prevents water runoff by allowing time for proper infiltration.

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Perfect for Sloped Areas

On slopes, water tends to run off before absorption.Cycle soaking minimizes the waste by applying water in intervals.

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Water Conservation

By reducing runoff and promoting deeproot growth, cycle soaking can save upto 30% of outdoor water usage

When Does Your Landscape Need Cycle Soaking?

Identify if your landscape would benefit from cycle soaking irrigation based on these common scenarios.

Situation	Problem	Solution
Clay Soil	Slow water absorption leads to puddling and runoff	Divide irrigation into shorter intervals with breaks
Sloped Landscapes	Water runs off before being absorbed by plant roots	Implement cycle soaking with adequate pause periods
Slow Absorption Areas	Water application rate exceeds soil infiltration rate	Use cycle soaking to match application to absorption
Water-Scarce Regions	Need to maximize every drop of irrigation water	Cycle soaking reduces waste and improves efficiency

Cyclic Irrigation Scheduling Guide

Based on the measured pooling time, program each zone to irrigate in multiple short intervals, with each interval's runtime not exceeding that duration. Incorporate a 30-minute to 1-hour soak period between each interval to allow water to penetrate the soil. The total daily irrigation runtime remains unchanged.

Example: Zone 1 (15 min total) can be set for three 5-minute cycles, each separated by a 30-minute break.

Irrigation schedule table for two zones with controller settings.

117 Timer - Cycle & Soak Calculator

Cycle & Soak

Calculate total watering time and valve shut-off time

Start Time

Watering Duration (minutes)

Cycle & Soak Mode

Setting 1

3 min / 15 min

Setting 2

5 min / 30 min

Setting 3

10 min / 30 min

Custom Setting

Define your own times

Water Time (minutes)

Soak Time (minutes)

Watering Plan Results

Valve Shut-off: --:--

Total Watering Time: 0 minutes

Number of Cycles: 0

Active Watering Time: 0 minutes

Total Soak Time: 0 minutes

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