|
REFLECTIONS OF HOME
Lawns for Living:
Automated Sprinkler Systems
Aren't Just Trendy Anymore
- By Denise Van (Adapted from Welcome HOME
Magazine)
Sinclair Plan #1748 - Home
Built by Marty Walters Homes, Inc.
Residential irrigation systems are more popular
than ever before. One reason is the convenience factor. With
today’s hectic lifestyles, sprinkler systems save homeowners
precious time and make lawns and landscaping green and beautiful
by applying the correct amount of water at the ideal time
of the day.
Because they’re efficient, they also save
water. And they can save money, too. Homeowners can avoid
paying sewer fees on the water used on lawns if an irrigation
meter is installed.
During hot, dry summer months, the ideal time
to water is before 7 or 8 A.M. – hours when most homeowners
don’t want to be standing in their yards holding heavy
garden hoses.
Timing Is Important
Sprinkler systems are set up on timers that turn them on and
off, a much more efficient way to get the correct amount of
water on a lawn than a hose in hand or attached to a sprinkler
head. “How many times do people forget and let a hose
run all night?” asks Stuart O’Hara of Perficut
Lawn & Landscape in Ankeny, Iowa. “After a half
inch, it’s all runoff. Water has been wasted.”
What about those sprinkler systems throwing
water around when it’s raining? A thing of the past,
says Ron Toney of T & T Sprinkler Service in Urbandale,
Iowa. Most homeowners now opt for rain sensors, which shut
off the system when real rain drops fall. “They’re
an integral part of an irrigation system,” Toney says.
When a customer decides to have a system installed,
a professional installer will visit the home to:
- determine soil types,
- note areas of sun and shade and the location of trees
and landscaping,
- decide how many zones will be needed and how many sprinkler
heads should be in each zone,
- calculate necessary water pressure
- and draw a plan.
“Each yard is different,” notes O’Hara,
explaining that most residential systems need to be able to
pump 12 to 14 gallons a minute. Sprinkler system firms also
check where underground utility lines are buried, obtain any
necessary permits and follow municipal code regulations for
installation.
Installation takes a day or two for most residential lots.
When everything is in place, the installers explain how the
system works to homeowners. New systems are digital and user-friendly
and usually have their master controls in garages where they’re
easily accessible, says O’Hara.
Know Your Lawn
Here are a few common lawn myths debunked by O’Hara
and Toney:
Don’t worry about that brown lawn. It’ll
come back in the fall.
Not true. A dormant lawn is alive,
and it needs food and nutrients. If it’s dry for a long
time, there will be damage. Stress can lead to thin grass,
weeds and pest damage.
It doesn’t matter when you water.
Wrong. Watering during daylight
takes more H20 to do the job because
water evaporates during daylight; therefore, you’ll
use more water to get the same result. Nighttime watering
is a no-no because you can end up with conditions ripe for
disease if weather conditions aren’t right. The advantage
of watering near dawn is that the water absorbs well and the
lawn and landscaping have a chance to dry out. Also, water
pressure is best at that time of the day and winds are usually
calm.
A little water every day is better than a long
soak.
Wrong again. In deep, rich soil,
watering three times a week gets water down deep where the
grass roots grow. A quarter inch a day on good soil doesn’t
penetrate deeply and the roots will grow up to it, something
they’re not really designed to do. But if your soil
is mostly clay, a “soak and cycle” routine that
works well puts down a quarter inch and stops, allowing the
water to penetrate the clay, followed a few hours later by
another cycle. Correctly managed watering allows roots to
stay down deep where they belong so they can produce a healthy
root system, the foundation for lush and beautiful lawns.
|
