Plant Nourishment:

All plants, even Cactus, require water to some degree or another to survive.  A properly designed irrigation system that is installed by a qualified and licensed irrigator will deliver just the right amount of water needed for the plant to survive and thrive, yet help prevent over watering which so commonly happens with hand watering.

Controls:

Most modern irrigation systems are controlled by a system timer or clock, which automatically activates the sprinkler system at a pre-determined time.  Dependant on the type of irrigation a particular zone is, the controller can allow the system to run from 1 minute to several hours.   Systems incorporating “Drip Irrigation” techniques will require extended run time as there particular watering method is to allow only small amounts of water, or drips to escape from the emitter.  This slow watering technique allows for deep root penetration of the moisture as well as cuts down on water loss due to evaporation.

Normal spray heads and rotors operate by flowing large amounts of water over an area of the landscape, thus these type of sprinklers have much shorter run times per zone then  do their relatives the “Drip Irrigation”.  With interchangeable spray nozzles, it is easy to offer just the right amount of water to a particular plant species.

• Rain: Localized rain is ideally the best method
available. It’s no cost to the homeowner and requires no effort
on your part. You do need to check to insure that you have received
sufficient rain though. A simple test to see if your lawn has had
sufficient rainfall is the simple screwdriver test. Try pushing
a screwdriver into the soil. You should be able to push a screwdriver
4-5 inches into the soil with just moderate pressure. If you cannot,
then it is a probability that your lawn needs to be watered. On
average your lawn will require upwards of ½” to 1”
inch of rainfall every week in order to remain healthy and vibrant.

• Supplemental Watering: Frequency and saturation
is an important key in your lawns root development. Infrequent or
insufficient watering can cause the grasses roots to develop close
to the top of the soil and make your lawn more susceptible to weeds.
Think about it this way, if water is being applied to the top one
or two inches only, then your lawn will be more apt to grow roots
in these areas. Infrequent and penetrating water is recommended
when your lawn needs supplemental watering. By insuring that the
water is penetrating to a depth of 4-5 inches, your grasses root
system should develop deeper roots and become overall healthier.

Watering should be uniformly spread across the lawn to insure an
even saturation. Lawn sprinklers differ greatly between models,
although they each do basically the same function. It may be necessary
to experiment between several different sprinkler types until you
find one that fits your individual requirements. An easy trick to
determine your sprinklers output and distribution patter, is to
place old coffee cans in different locations throughout your lawn.
Water until you reach a 1” depth in the coffee can, and then
relocate the sprinklers to a different area of the yard. Check each
can that you have put out to make sure you are reaching all areas
of your yard.

It is best to water your lawn early morning while the morning dew
is still on the ground. This will help to slow the water loss due
to evaporation and insure better water saturation. It also prevents
the possibility of scorching the grass during the middays heat.
Watering during mid-day reduces the useable amount of water that
can reach the grass roots. And watering your lawn late evening can
cause excess moisture retention and lead to fungus buildup in the
turf. It’s also best to keep your watering to those times
of the year when temperatures are above 60º at night and above
80º during the daytime hours.

You can help to conserve the amount of watering by mowing your
grass at higher than normal heights during periods of dry weather.
This cuts down on the plants useable water storage in the grass
blades as well as keeps the grass from demanding additional water
to re-grow the grasses nutrient gathering portion of the grass blade.

If due to watering restrictions during droughts your lawn goes
dormant, allow it to stay dormant. Fluctuations between dormancy
and active growth can be worse for your lawn then the actual dormancy
itself.