How do you irrigate your lawn? More importantly, are you efficiently and adequately watering your lawn and landscape? If you’re still using a mere garden hose to water your entire lawn, you should consider trying a more modern approach.
While an automatic water irrigation system is indeed pricier, it can get the job done much faster, which saves you a lot of time and energy in the long run. Here are some nifty tips on efficiently watering your lawn by using an automatic watering system.
Source: Pixabay
1. Design Your Lawn for Easy Irrigation
An automated irrigation system works best if your lawn is structured in such a way that it can quickly receive the water it needs. After all, such a machine wouldn’t be worth it if your water bill stays high due to overwatering. To achieve adequate irrigation, you must pay attention to how you arrange your lawn.
While it’s not necessarily a bad idea to have complex and curving pathways, you must remember that having straight sections works best for watering. If you have a lawn with no obstructions, maximum coverage can be easily achieved without too many pieces of equipment.
2. Check the Sensors
Another great way to stop your automated irrigation system from wasting water is to regularly check if the sensors are properly working. Most of these systems should have sensors in the first place, but not all of them will be reliable. Before you buy an automatic water system, ensure that at least two of the sensors are functioning well.
First, check the rain sensor, which is responsible for detecting the amount of rainfall at a given period. Such a sensor is usually small, affordable, and easy to install. When this sensor notices that enough rain has occurred to naturally water the lawn, it will automatically stop the irrigation system from continuing with its operation on that given day.
Second, you must pay attention to the soil moisture sensor, which is not as easy to install and maintain compared to a rain sensor. Still, it is also important in improving the performance of your automatic water system. The primary task of this type of sensor is to determine the amount of moisture in the soil, particularly in the root system.
Essentially, it measures just how much water your plants have been receiving. With that given information, the soil moisture sensor helps adjust the amount of water to be used by the automatic irrigation system.
3. Take Advantage of the Timer
Up next, another important feature to look for in your irrigation system is the timer. A timer will vary depending on the system you have, so it’s always best to read the instruction manual.
During the summer season when your lawn can rapidly become dry due to the hot weather, you can set the timer to run every other day early in the morning. This is the best time since the rate of evaporation isn’t high and the plants are taking in as much water as they can at this period. With a timer to do the job, you wouldn’t have to wake up very early just to water your lawn.
4. Adjust Your Irrigation System Accordingly
As you expand your lawn or at least change its appearance, you would need to make some changes in your automatic water system to achieve full coverage. One of the best things about a drip irrigation system is that it adapts quickly to an expanded lawn. You can just add or remove tubes to the line to achieve the right watering coverage. Furthermore, new emitters can be included in the line using a punch tool.
5. Conduct Proper Maintenance
An automatic water system is an investment, so you have to keep it in top shape through regular maintenance procedures. Always clean the filter to keep the flow unobstructed by any debris. In addition, you should always have a spare battery in case the one in the timer is about to be worn out. Remember to drain all of the water lines, especially if winter is about to approach. Lastly, have any leaks and damaged emitters repaired as soon as possible.
Overall, you should be having a well-irrigated lawn with your automatic water system as long as you are informed about its capabilities. Take advantage of the timers and sensors, and always keep it in good condition.
Have any questions about lawn care? Visit our lawn care page for more information!
Featured image source: Pixabay
