by July is Smart Irrigation Month: 10 Reasons Why You Need a Smart Sprinkler System
Do you want to save money on your water bills? One way to do that is with a lawn sprinkler system.
Sprinkler systems for your lawn and landscape are designed to save you water, help you stay compliant with your local municipality and can be operated by an app on your smartphone.
Smart Irrigation Month
The Irrigation Association, a trade organization for contractors and irrigation design and build companies, has dedicated July as Smart Irrigation Month.
The association reminds homeowners to wisely water their lawns by encouraging common sense irrigation as well as investing in a sprinkler that saves you time and money.
Today’s irrigation systems use technology to enable you to turn on and off your system as well as stop watering when the soil has enough moisture or when rain is on its way.
If you have an older sprinkler system, you can have it retrofitted with all of the latest gadgets to save you money and time.
Got weeds in your lawn? Read the top 10 weeds that plague Southern Alabama yards.
10 Reasons Why You Need a Smart Lawn Sprinkler
Your lawn and garden need regular watering to thrive under Southern Alabama’s relentless heat. And yet, if a drought occurs, Birmingham Water Works will employ water restrictions, including for outdoor use.
There are 10 reasons why you want to invest in a sprinkler system for your Birmingham, AL lawn. These tips will help you conserve your water usage as well as save you money on your utility bills:
- Divide your irrigation design into zones taking into account your property’s topography and micro-climates:
- Shade
- Slopes
- Areas with full sun
- Areas covered in shade or partial shade
- Your lawn and flower beds different watering needs.
- Add more connections to your sprinkler system to increase capacity: When you add more connections, you allow your system to water your lawn efficiently and in less time.
- Get smart with your lawn sprinkler: Add timers, weather and moisture sensors that are programmed to measure the amount of moisture already in your soil. These sensors also turn off your sprinkler system when rain is imminent as well as they’re programmed to know your plants’ watering needs.
- Check your water pressure: To avoid wasting water, make sure your property’s water pressure is at the right level. Too high or too low water pressure will affect the effectiveness of your sprinkler system.
- Invest in quality materials: As the adage says, you get what you pay for. So, if you get the cheapest system on the market, you can expect to have problems with your system. Plus, if you’re not a natural DIY’er, you should hire an irrigation contractor to design and install your system.
Here are some great watering tips and 10 other lawn care hacks.
- Meet backflow requirements: The National Plumbing Code mandates that all sprinkler systems include a backflow prevention device to prevent sprinkler water from entering your home’s water supply.
- Dig deep: Lawn mowers and other lawn maintenance machines can do a number on your sprinkler heads and lines. Insist that your contractor dig deep to install those water lines protecting them from mowers and other devices.
- Check for rebates through your local water works: If there is a prolonged drought and your local municipality requires you cut back on your water usage, they may also offer a rebate for homeowners installing a lawn sprinkler on their property.
- Hire a pro: Not only will your sprinkler system need to be designed and installed, but to keep your water sprinkler working at its best, you also need monthly checks and a system audit. Unless you’re a DIY whiz, it’s better to hire a pro. Just make sure that they’re insured and trained by the sprinkler system’s company.
- Consider drip irrigation for your flower beds, under trees and around shrubs: Drip irrigation slowly emits water to your plants’ roots. So you end up using less water while still having a beautiful landscape.
What Happens if You Don’t Have a Water Sprinkler?
If you don’t have a water sprinkler, you can invest in sprinkler hoses to slowly drip water into your lawn’s soil. There are some wise water habits you want to incorporate—whether you have a sprinkler system or an ordinary garden hose:
- Design your lawn and landscape into hydrozones: There are micro-climates throughout your property. For example, shaded areas are cooler and require less water than areas in full sun. Also, group your plants based on their watering needs. For instance, native plants require less watering than non-natives.
- Water your lawn in the early morning or evening hours: It’s best to water your yard when the temperatures cool down in the early morning or evening hours.
- Only give your lawn 1” to 2” of water per week: Your lawn only needs 1”–2” of water per week to survive. Invest in a rain gauge to measure rainfall. If you get 2” of rain in one week from thunderstorms, you won’t have to water your yard that week.
How Xtreme Turf Lawn Care Helps You Maintain a Beautiful Lawn
At Xtreme Turf Lawn Care, we don’t design and build irrigation systems, but we do know how they benefit area lawns. Good watering habits not only preserve our water consumption, but they also prevent lawn diseases.
If you’re looking for a reputable sprinkler system contractor, ask us and we’ll make our recommendations.
In the meantime, if you need regular fertilization, pest and weed control, fire ant control or ornamental and flowerbed maintenance, call us today at 251-648-9947 or fill out our contact form.
Xtreme Turf Lawn Care Serves Homeowners in Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shore, Loxley, Mobile, Saraland, and Spanish Fort, AL.
Source:
Irrigation Association, “Smart Irrigation Month: Consumer Resources.”
