Landscape irrigation is an important step to maintaining your newly designed outdoor space. It takes more than just setting up a sprinkler system and watering your plants. A good landscape irrigation system is custom-designed to your unique space and landscaping.
It’s important to properly install an irrigation system and perform routine maintenance including annual checks, seasonal adjustments and occasional repairs.
With so many irrigation systems and techniques available, the choices can be overwhelming. To determine the best options, think about how you water, rather than simply the act of watering.
Common Irrigation Systems and Techniques.
- Manual and automatic sprinkler systems achieve the same results in different ways. With manual systems, you have to turn the system on, track watering times and turn them off in a timely fashion. Automatic systems allow you to program watering times in advance.
- As one of the newest trends, smart controllers provide a water-conserving way to water your plants. They use current weather conditions to detect how often and how much to water.
- Drip zones are great for low-pressure, low-volume watering. They water plants right at their roots by dripping, spraying or streaming water. When properly designed, they keep the plants’ roots consistently moist and use less water than other watering techniques.
- Hydrozoning combines both design and irrigation together by grouping plants together based on water requirements. This technique is accounted for in the design phase of your landscape development.
Drainage goes hand-in-hand with irrigation. To further promote plant health and prevent the flooding of your landscaping, an effective drainage system must be in place. Draining excess water away from your home, hardscapes, lawn and garden beds is key to preventing ponding and waterlogged plantings. Properly graded lawns and underground drains help run water away from structures and garden beds.
For these tips and more, contact the Prewett, Read & Associates team 713.468.4313.