| As you drive around town you can easily see who has an irrigation system for their lawn – they would be the green and not crispy lawns. So we are going to talk about lawn sprinklers and how to use them effectively.
 First, some basic watering tips when setting up lawn sprinklers try to be as mindful of water as possible, especially if you have a well.
Try not to use them on windy days because the wind can carry off a lot of the water before it even reaches the lawn. After you’ve set up your lawn sprinkler watch it to see if the water falls on or runs off onto the pavement, I see this all the time and it is a waste of good water and money.
Try to always water early in the morning to reduce evaporation, and the grass will dry as the day warms up. Plus, if you water at night the grass stays wet, increasing the chances of disease such as rust, mildew, and rot.
How to tell when it’s time to water
the best time to water the lawn is as soon as you notice that the grass does not spring back after it has been walked on. This is called "footprinting."
Choosing the best lawn sprinkler
there is a wide variety of portable, hose-end sprinklers that include stationary types that look like rings, oscillating, rotating, and impulse sprinklers; and "walking" or "traveling" types that slowly roll across the lawn area.
When choosing a sprinkler, look for one with a coverage pattern that most closely matches the area that needs to be watered. The package details should list the shape and size of the area which the sprinkler will cover with water.
How much to water - To water effectively with portable sprinklers (or any irrigation system really) you need to know how fast water penetrates your soil and the delivery rate of your sprinklers. For example 1 inch of water moistens about:
12 inches deep in sandy soil,
7 inches deep in loamy soil,
4 to 5 inches deep in heavy clay soil.
So if you want to water to 12 inches deep you'll need to apply about:
1 inch of water to sandy soil
2.5 to 3 inches of water to clay soil
To figure how much and how long - Simply place a rain gauge or small can at regular intervals outward from the sprinkler and see how long it takes to fill it with 1 inch of water.
After the grass has been watered the soil should be moist to a depth of 4 to 6 inches which is ideal and considered deep watering.
Avoid shallow watering - If the soil is only moist in the first 1 to 2 inches you have not watered enough and that is shallow watering, something you want to avoid. Shallow watering only encourages the roots to stay near the surface, making the lawn more susceptible to drought. It is always much better to water thoroughly and deeply so that the grass's roots grow down far into the soil where more moisture is likely to be, this also applies to all of your gardens.
Check - Dig a small hole to check that the soil is damp to the needed depth, and then make a note of the time it took to water the lawn enough so you have an idea in the future how long you need to set the sprinklers out.
Lawn water sprinklers as we all know come in various types to suit a variety of needs, but here are the two with the least amount of problems.
Standing/Spike Sprinkler: Mounted on a spike that you push into the ground, it comes in many styles and types including circular, semicircular, rectangular, mist, or fan shapes that spray from 20 feet up to 40 feet in a radius, making this a very versatile sprinkler for you.
Good for lawns, as it gives good even coverage. With the spike it has adjustable height, and the spray is easy to adjust between mist, stream, or spray so it can be used in other parts of the garden if needed - such as flower or perennial beds. Many have a flow-through spike base so that multiple sprinklers can be connected. .
The oscillating types can sometimes break quickly. Better to buy a standard spray type that does not oscillate.
The Rotating or Whirling Nelson Sprinkler
has a non-tipping, heavy duty, die cast zinc base with an aluminum top and vane. The base has a series connection so several can be strung together and a metal swivel coupling. The square spray pattern is up to 35 feet x 35 feet.
The well built construction, gives great even coverage for lawn and turf as it covers square areas and holds the square pattern well - it gets into the corners and spreads the water perfectly. The spray mimics rain, very even with good coverage throughout with no excessive soaking in one area and dry patches in others. The spray is droplets rather than mist so there is less evaporation and the droplets are very fine and will not harm tender young seedlings. Another nice feature is the ability to chain several together. To adjust the size of the coverage, just turn the water on more or less – how simple.
The downside is that the hose connection may fail after many years – does not sound too bad.
Remember, watering thoroughly each time you water is better than frequent light watering.
Trees, shrubs, or evergreens planted this spring may suffer if allowed to dry out. Applying five to ten gallons of water weekly to each plant is a good rule of thumb.
Two to four inches of mulch around each plant slows moisture loss and prevents weeds and grass from taking over. Mulching is good for perennial flower plantings, too, as it conserves moisture and keeps down weeds.
Make you watering easier - Hose Timers - hose timers are very convenient tools that can be used with any type of garden sprinkler or drip irrigation or soaker hoses. They fit between the tap and the hose. Most hose timers turn off the water after a predetermined time, but the more sophisticated computerized hose timers can also turn on the water.
Simple Water Timer - These can be set to turn off the water after a preset time, usually from 5 minutes up to two hours.
Computerized Hose Timer - These timers allow you to irrigate plants and lawn areas while you are away by programming water times and duration in advance. |
July just seemed to be a repeat of June, humidity and high heat and it also went by so fast.