If you're one of the 74 million United States households that counts gardening as a regular activity, you need a steady and reliable source of water. While many of those same households may have sprinkler systems from place like the Wagner SOD Company installed in their yards, not all of them know how to get the maximum efficiency from these fantastic contraptions that make gardening so much easier and more successful. Here are 10 ways to make sure your system is running at peak performance for your landscaping needs.
1. Know Your Output
Showering your landscape with too much water drains nutrients away from roots and deeper into the soil, which wastes money, but could possibly damage the greenery. Use a rain gauge or other device to know exactly how much water your sprinkler system is putting out.
2. Check Penetration Levels
A soil probe will allow you to determine exactly how far down the water is reaching. Knowing this helps you adequately hydrate everything on your property with scientific precision.
3. Measure The Depth Of Your Roots
Gently dig beside a plant, in order to observe how far down its roots travel or conduct research to learn the numbers for your specific plants.
4. Allow Water To Seep Right Below The Roots
Because you want your roots to keep reaching further down into the soil, you want the water levels there to be enticing. Therefore, calculate your sprinkler system's output to travel a depth that is just a hair below the root position that you determine.
5. Adjust Your Sprinkler System As Plants Grow
As your garden and other landscaping elements grow, you will need to make adjustments to your sprinkler system in terms of where the water is reaching. For example, you don't want big leaves splashing the water away from the base of a plant, nor do you want any larger plant to block the flow of hydration to smaller plants.
6. Take Care Watering On Hills And Slopes
Test your sprinkler on areas where inclines will cause run-off and aerate the soil where you see it's not getting enough water penetration. You might want to adjust the angle of your sprinkler heads, too, if you see more water running off where it's not needed than directly to the plants.
7. Water Early In The Day, As A Rule
If you set your sprinkler system to water earlier in the day, there will be less evaporation, meaning your hydration efforts will be much more efficient. Alter the system's time as needed during seasonal changes that see the sun rising and warming at earlier times.
8. Refresh Your Landscape On Hot Afternoons
When the temperatures really rise, your lawn and garden need a bit of cooling off or they could start to turn brown and wilt or suffer with other heat-related ailments. While plants actually have sun protection of their own, in the form of special molecules called sinapate esters, most of your landscaping will display some type of distress symptoms if they're exposed to high temperatures without relief.
9. Keep An Eye On Each Element Of Your Sprinkler System
As the season progresses and your lawn and garden flourish, keep checking the different parts of your sprinkler system. See that the intended water is flowing in the right amount and direction and that the system isn't compromised in any way that indicates something is amiss. Also, as your plants reach maturity, make adjustments that fit their individual needs, so that they continue to do well.
10. Contact A Professional If You Encounter Major Problems
Sprinkler systems can be complicated and a number of issues can arise throughout the watering season. If you happen to notice something not functioning properly, consult the manufacturer's warranty if you're the DIY type or contact outside help as needed.
Whether you're watering a garden for fresh, organic food for your family or simply keeping up with the Jones' with your lush, green lawn, you want your sprinkler system to work seamlessly and efficiently and that can be accomplished with a few observations, minor adjustments when needed and a little upkeep. The results should be everything you hoped for with your landscaping, without a lot of manual labor on your part.
Share28 September 2017
About a year ago, I realized that part of the reason the plants in my yard kept dying was the fact that they were planted in the wrong places. I didn't pay much attention to which plants needed certain amounts of light, and it was costing them their lives. Several of the plants were really struggling to live, and it was really hard to see. I realized that if I ever wanted to make things right, I would need to create a landscaping plan that would work well for the natural landscape of my yard. This blog is all about understanding landscaping.
