A professional irrigation system leads to a healthy and thriving landscape. To create a water-wise landscape and reduce your water bill, here are five tips for saving water with a professional irrigation system in Westchester County, NY.
Related: 8 Lawn Care Mistakes to Avoid in Your Cortlandt Manor, NY, Landscape
Water, Where and When You Need It
Irrigation Cortlandt Manor NY, Westchester County, NY.
One of the biggest advantages of a professionally installed irrigation system is that water goes where it’s needed. If you’ve ever watered your driveway or patio because your sprinkler couldn’t be adjusted otherwise, you know what we mean. A professional irrigation system ensures that you aren’t unnecessarily watering your hardscape or the side of your house. At the same time, it will prevent the overwatering or underwatering of certain areas of the landscape.
Water Early in the Morning
Watering at the height of the day means a lot of water will quickly evaporate from grass blades before it has a chance to seep into the root system. Watering in the evening is not recommended because it can invite mold growth. Program your irrigation system to activate early in the morning before the sun comes up, for optimal deep watering.
Water Infrequently and Deeply
When watering an established lawn, deep watering means watering long enough to saturate the top 6 to 8 inches of soil (where most turf grass roots grow). This translates to 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. This technique isn’t limited to your lawn only. You can save a lot of water by encouraging all of your plants to grow a deep root system. A shallow root system makes all plants vulnerable to weather fluctuations, weeds, and insect damage. By encouraging deep roots, your plants and lawn will be hardier and actually require less watering in the long run.
Related: Benefits of Following a Lawn Maintenance Schedule in Yorktown, NY
Use Weather Sensors
This is another effective way to prevent overwatering and underwatering. Many sprinkler systems are programmed to turn on at scheduled times, but without a weather sensor, you could be running your sprinklers during a downpour. Weather sensors are not the same as rain sensors, which only detect moisture. Weather sensors detect temperature and wind. It’s important to know this, since temperature extremes can make it hard for a lawn to absorb water and strong winds can blow airborne water anywhere but where you want it. In both cases (temperatures too cold or too hot, or in windy conditions) the weather sensor will prevent watering. You could have a weather sensor installed if your system didn’t come with one, for significant savings as well as better overall landscape health.
Check for Leaks
If you notice an unusual spike in water use, a particularly wet area of the lawn, or some sprinkler heads that don’t seem to be producing adequate water, a leak could be the culprit. It can take some effort to locate a leak, but ultimately doing so will save you money and also protect your hardscapes and your home’s foundation.
Maintain Your System
Regular professional maintenance can save water and money in the long run. Check the operating system and sprinkler heads twice yearly.
A well designed and well maintained professional irrigation system makes landscape care much easier, and it will save water and money over its lifetime.