Other Irrigation Equipment To Consider
Flow control meter This device is installed between the faucet and your hose, and monitor the amount of water that goes through. Some feature an automatic shutoff control that prevents wasteful overwatering.
Automatic timerAn automatic timer shuts off the water at a designated time. Some models are hose-end, others are built into in-ground sprinkler systems to control the timing of each section of the irrigation system.
Smart irrigation controller Your phone is now smart. Watches, thermostats and doors, too. So it’s no surprise that sprinkler controllers have climbed onto the smart bandwagon. Instead of relying on a fixed timer, they use either Wifi or GSM cellular connectivity to pick up plant data and weather forecasts.
A smart controller will water grass according to environmental conditions such as evapotranspiration rate and amount of soil moisture. In addition, make sure the system includes a shut-off switch that cuts off the sprinklers while its raining.
To keep them working effectively, automatic irrigation systems should be inspected and audited every two to three years by an expert to ensure its working properly and delivering the right amount of water to your lawn.
How To Aerate Your Lawn
Difficulty
Duration
Under 2 hours
One of the most overlooked tricks in lawn maintenance is lawn aeration. This task keeps your yard green and healthy while promoting growth. The two primary types of lawn aerators are plug aerators and spike aerators.
Plug aerators, also called core aerators, have hollow tines and remove plugs of soil from your lawn. Spike aerators have rollers with solid spikes that puncture holes in the ground.
Use this guide to learn when and how to aerate your lawn.
Watering On Compacted Areas And Slopes
If your lawn is dry despite consistently watering it and using proper procedures, check your soils compaction. You can do this by sticking a trowel into different areas of your yard. The entire blade should easily sink into the earth. If it only descends a few inches, your soil is too compact.
What is compact soil?
While soil looks like one giant mass of dirt, it actually contains thousands of tiny particles that each have spaces between them containing water and air. We compact soil by continuously walking or driving over it, and this reduces large pores between particles. In turn, water and air have difficulty filtering through the particles and plant growth recedes.
Soil compaction can happen due to rain, footsteps, and wheel traffic. The best way to improve compact soil is by aerating once a year. This loosens the soil and allows better gas exchange and water drainage. While aerating should work, the last resort is by measuring the soils bulk density. As pore space decreases and compaction increases, the bulk density increases.
Are there benefits to compact soil?
Have you ever heard the phrase, everything in moderation? The same can be said when talking about compact soil. When soil is too loose, water actually evaporates and leaches easier. This is why homeowners who have properties with sandy soil tend to have to water more often.
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What Is Lawn Irrigation
Lawn irrigation is simply the process of getting your grass the water it needs. A healthy lawn keeps the HOA at bay and is a badge of honor. If you ask ten different people how to water your lawn, though, youll get ten different answers. So, here are the basics to get you started.
There are three primary methods for irrigating your lawn:
What Tools Are Needed For The Irrigation
Advantages of irrigation right tools for the job ensures you can easily get the watering done while abiding by all the rules and guidelines needed in the lawn watering system. For instance, you may install a sprinkler irrigation system instead of a drip lawn watering system for efficient watering of all the parts of a lawn.
There are different effective lawn watering systems. You need to develop the most convenient and suitable method of watering your space
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Tips For Watering Your Lawn
In order to keep your lawn healthy, it’s important to water your lawn properly. This segment has tips on: how to check your lawn to see if it needs more water, what’s the best time of day to water, and helping your lawn to survive the hot, summer heat. Produced by the Department of Communications at Kansas State University. For more information, visit our website at:
Construct A Remote Hose Connection For Easier Irrigation
Have you been dragging your long hose from one corner of the lawn to another during irrigation? Well, you can construct a remote hose around your compound for easier watering of your lawn.
Depending on the time and budget, this is a good irrigation system that can be as simple as a length of garden hose attached to your fence with pipe straps. You can also construct an underground irrigation system complete with a vacuum breaker.
At Professional irrigation Missouri, we can help you construct a good irrigation system for watering your lawn without a hassle. Give yourself a break by installing a remote hose in for irrigating your lawn today.
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Run Your Sprinklers At The Same Time If Using Well Water
Frequent starting and stopping of sprinklers when irrigating your lawn can cause untimely wear of your well-pump. If you are using a well as the sole source of your lawn irrigation water, then it is critical to connect several sprinklers to maximize water flow during the watering of your lawn. By doing so, you will keep your well-pump operating in top condition while improving its life expectancy.
With many sprinklers connected to the source of water, you will cover more ground, especially if you own a large lawn. You can contract professional irrigation Missouri to help in connecting your sprinklers strategically in your lawn to maximize water use while ensuring the durability of your well-pump.
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Determine What Kind Of Soil You Have
Knowing your soil type is another important element for creating your irrigation schedule.
Clay Soil
Clay soil absorbs water slowly. However, it also releases water slowly. This allows your grass to absorb more of the water you distribute. Since it absorbs water slowly, youre more likely to waste water to runoff. Runoff occurs when water runs into your driveway or the street instead of being absorbed into the soil.
Lawns with clay soil should be watered once a week. Youll need to break your watering time into two or three intervals to make sure the soil has time to absorb the water.
Sandy Soil
Sandy soil doesnt hold water well. It needs more frequent watering to keep the grass hydrated. Lawns with sandy soil should be watered three times a week.
Loam
Loam is the traditional brown soft soil. Its great for grass because it absorbs and holds water well. Loamy soil should be watered twice a week.
How Often Should The Lawn Be Watered And How Much Water Is Considered Sufficient
The answer here is two-fold. The frequency of which you should water your lawn is less important than the amount of water that the lawn needs to remain healthy as well as flourish.
Across the board, a lawn typically needs at least one inch to one and a half inches of water per week, all year around. Due to evaporation, you will need to water the lawn more frequently during summer months or if you reside in an area that mostly consists of hot temperatures. This is because the heat has a tendency to dry out grass, thus insufficient hydration will thwart its health.
As a rule of thumb, it is better to water your lawn deeply 2-3 times per week than it is to do so inadequately on a daily basis.
Also be mindful that the same way in which insufficient watering can thwart the health of your lawn, overwatering can also cause more harm than good. Too much water penetration can lead to a shallow root system and cause funguses.
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The Sprinkler System Effect
The reason why your lawn isnt receiving the correct amount of water is because of your sprinkler system. Unfortunately the hose-end sprinklers you pick up at your local hardware store rarely distribute enough water volume per square foot. Because of this, for you to reach the one-inch mark or more of water per week, you may have to leave that type of sprinkler system in one area of your lawn for hours at a time. Using the water calculation technique we described earlier will not only help you figure out how much youre dispersing and how much money you need to spend to reach that mark, but how long it takes to do so.
To make life easier, install an irrigation system if you can, and its even better if this is hooked up to a well. These systems can more evenly distribute a larger amount of water over a much greater area in less time. If you do opt to install an irrigation system, remember to have the heads adjusted properly so it releases the needed amount of water. Often irrigation companies will set the system heads to a default setting.
Set Up An Affordable Irrigation System
You can have a good irrigation system that runs underground at an amazingly affordable cost instead of a multi-outlet programmable water timer. Both of these irrigation systems do the same job, the only difference is the installation costs.
Programmable irrigation systems come in either a single-zone or multi-zones. This system is designed to allow you to set the time of day and the length of irrigation that the sprinkler will irrigate. So, whatever the irrigation system you choose to install, professional irrigation Missouri got you covered!
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Ways Irrigating Your Lawn Can Benefit You In The Long Run
Most homeowners dont know that irrigating your lawn is critical for the health of their lawns. Proper lawn irrigation is the most important undertaking that can help your lawn remain in top condition in the long run.
Lawn irrigation might seem a simple thing to do. However, there are plenty of tips and tricks that you can consider using to help save you water, money, time while ensuring your lawn stays greener for long.
In this post, we give you ten strategies to irrigate your lawn to benefit you in the long run. Without much ado, lets get into it!
Q: How Long Should I Water My Lawn
A: It all depends on the type of soil that makes up your lawn. The climate of the area you live will also determine how long you should water your lawn. At Professional irrigation Missouri, we recommend that you should water your lawn for at least 15 minutes daily.
If you have installed a good irrigation system that is programmable, you can set it to run for 15 minutes in every area of your lawn
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Lawn Irrigation The Basics
If youre planning a new lawn, why not take the extra time to plan a bit of irrigation to go with it? Irrigation is a comparatively cheap addition to your project and it will make a world of difference to your long term maintenance program.
Irrigation, when installed correctly can not only save you time but is in fact a water-wise solution, as there is less water wastage due to a more even and better directed application.
To start, firstly to map out your area, mark where each tap point is and comprehend what will be covered from each point. Once you have a rough idea of what needs water and from where you will need to know how much water you have available. To do this you will need to conduct The Bucket Test.
- Grab a standard 9L household bucket.
- Turn your tap on to maximum flow.
- Place you bucket directly under your flowing tap.
- With a stop watch, time how long it takes to fill the bucket.
Bucket Size ÷ Time = Flow Rate Litres/Second
Flow Rate Litres/Second x 60 x 60 = Flow Rate Litres/Hour
It is best to use a rate of around 80% of this figure. This ensures you will have sufficient pressure to propel from the sprinklers.
General Tips For Watering Outdoor Plants
During dry seasons, watering is necessary to maintain healthy plants. Water is more important for new plantings than for established ones.
In trying to conserve water and to realize the greatest benefit from water used, it is wise to set up a regularly scheduled program.
- Do not try to water all planted areas at each watering.
- Section off your areas, and concentrate on these areas individually for maximum benefit.
- Saturate each area, and then allow to dry out before watering again.
- Plan to use mulch around all planted areas to reduce water loss.
- Do not allow plants to wilt before beginning a watering program.
- Overwatering can be more harmful to plants than underwatering. Roots need air as well as water. Do not keep soil saturated with water continuously.
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Types Of Sprinkler Systems
Fixed sprinkler The fixed sprinkler is simple and economical. It is a metal or plastic vessel with small holes in it that fits at the hose end. The pressure of the water forced through the small holes sprays the lawn. The pattern of spray is determined by the pattern of holes, the volume is controlled at the faucet. To change the area of coverage, you drag it around the lawn.
Gear drive sprinklerThis type of heavy-duty sprinkler is often found on golf courses or other large areas of grass where both large volume and precision in watering is needed. Their gear-driven motion usually has multiple flow controls that let you adjust the distance the water is sprayed, and the angle and force of the spray.
Hose-end spray nozzlesThese simple devices are a best seller. Inexpensive and versatile, they can be made of plastic or brass, and are often controlled by a handle that turns the water on and off. The volume and pattern of spray is controlled by either twisting the nozzle or via a dial attached to the nozzle.
Impact sprinklerWith an impact sprinkler, the spraying nozzle is rotated by the pressure of the water from the hose. Made in both plastic and brass the brass impact sprinkler is more expensive but more durable. Some models are attached to the ground via a spike, others are elevated to become a tripod sprinkler.
More-advanced models such as the turbo oscillating sprinkler allow greater control of the watering pattern and spray volume.
How To Calculate Lawn Irrigation Water Usage And Costs
After checking the small details and knowing different methods, you may now see how much it will cost to build a system for your lawn. There are a few things that you need to weigh when dealing with an irrigation system. These things are the variables that must be considered to truly maximize what you spend and the effort involved in it.
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General Lawn Irrigation Advice
Water when the grass needs it.Most lawns require irrigation once every four to eight days to stay healthy, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In fact, the NRCS says irrigating less often and applying more water when you do irrigate results in deeper rooted plants and healthier turf.
Keep an eye on the sky. When it rains for several days, water less. Successive hot, dry days mean water more. If youre not sure if your lawn needs water, the NRCS recommends this test: If grass doesnt spring back after being stepped on, its probably time to irrigate.
Early morning watering is best. Early watering gives the grass time to absorb the water, sending it down into the roots and into the grass plants themselves. That plumps up the grass blades with water, allowing them to better endure the heat of the day. Avoid watering during the middle of the day when water evaporates quickly. Also avoid watering on a windy day, which will dry up the water before it can be absorbed by the grass.
Although not as good as early morning, late afternoon also can be a good time for watering grass. You should not water in the evening, though, as lingering moisture can lead to fungal diseases in the grass.
During fall, as part of your regular lawn care maintenance, you should prepare your lawn for the coming winter. Per the NRCS, water through mid-September and then again in mid-October to store moisture in the soil.
Length Of Time To Water
In general, its best to ensure your lawn receives at least one inch of water per week. However, it may need more or less depending on environmental conditions. For example, during the hot, dry summer, youll likely need to water your lawn more than you do in the spring and fall when rainfall is more plentiful.
If youre not sure how to tell if your lawn is receiving enough water, Ben Erickson, web editor for Todays Homeowner, gives some excellent advice on how to figure out whether your entire lawn is equally receiving at least one inch of water.Before watering, scatter several containers around your yard. After watering, use a ruler to measure the waters depth in each container. This will tell you how much water areas of your lawn are receiving.
Now get ready to do some math. It takes about 0.623 gallons of water per square foot to cover your lawn with one inch of water. To figure out how much water you need to use to reach that one-inch mark, multiply the length of your yard by its width. This is called its square footage. Next, multiply the square footage by 0.623. The answer is the number of gallons you need to put on your lawn each week to ensure your property is receiving one inch of water.
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