In the winter there is generally enough snow/moisture that you don’t need to water. As long as the sprinkler system’s heads are adjusted properly, all the lawn watering problems can be fixed by following the lawn watering technique invented by Organo-Lawn called 1-2-3-2-1 Lawn Watering. While you may have to wait longer for a drip irrigation system to wet your soil, you will lose less water to evaporation than with an automatic sprinkler system. Wind can also make a sprinkler system less efficient, since water is lost to evaporation. Check out my article on mowing patterns on your lawn with a push mower. The value of having a sprinkler system for your lawn will vary depending on the location and type of property you have. The first step in sprinkler winterization is to shut off the water supply to your sprinkler system completely so that there is no longer even a trickle water flowing. A sprinkler system is a handy way to ensure your lawn gets the water it needs to grow full and lush, without having to stand out there with hose in hand. What are the warning signs to look for that might indicate you need an inspection or repair? Stations in shady areas may only require about half the watering as a sunny spot. It will shoot its stream out at a low angle which makes it ideal for yards with low trees but you have to take care around flower beds as the powerful stream may wreck them. That said, you have to check your sprinkler system once a year to ensure that it has enough water to distribute across your lawn. Most of the water should drain out the lines that run to the sprinkler heads when you turn the system off if your system was installed correctly. Homeowners should check their sprinkler system at least once a year to make sure that enough water is being applied evenly across your yard. Saturating your lawn with water also promotes the growth of certain weed species, and it often forces property owners into a vicious cycle as they strive to apply a high amount of herbicides necessary to control the excessive number of weeds caused by over-watering. By giving your lawn a deep water I mean you should water it so much that it is completely drenched all the way down to the root system as this encourages the root system to grow deep and a lawn with a deep root system is a healthy lawn that will be a lot more tolerant of drought compared to a lawn that is watered every day and has become dependant on surface water. In 2012, the city recommended: -- … While automated sprinklers certainly are convenient, a homeowner can easily waste water if regular maintenance and needed repairs go undone. Click here to find out the answer to whether your grass will get sunburnt if you water it in the sunshine. Most often, the questions are how often and for how long should they run their sprinkler system with the rising temperature this summer. If you have any sloped sections of your yard, you’ll want to water those in shorter sessions to avoid run-off. It is advised to operate the sprinkler for one-two hours. Water is essential to the quality of a lawn. How Often Should I Water My Lawn? How Long Should I leave the Sprinkler On? Since gardens tend to have more height variation, water coming from a sprinkler system is more likely to reach taller and fuller plants, not supplying water evenly to other parts of your garden. Adjusting the sprinkler run times on your irrigation controller is essential during the changing seasons. Share. It all depends on what your local climate is and what the drainage is like on your lawn and what variety of grass you have. One tactic which has become popular for sprinkler systems is the cycle soak method. Besides, most plants usually end up going dormant anyways. Even when you switch to watering just a time or two a week, there are still other things you can do to maximize the amount of moisture getting to your plants. Here’s how to make the most of your sprinkler system. Now that we have covered the basics, let’s go into more detail about how to keep your plants well-nourished and green by examining sprinkler run times and other ways to optimize your sprinkler system. Run your sprinklers for 15 minutes and measure the depth of water in the cans, if its ¼ inch deep that means you need to turn your sprinklers on for 30 minutes to spray ½ an inch of water on your lawn. Stop the run cycle at that point. Watering your lawn every day will cause your grass to have a shallow root system. Design your irrigation system to water shrubs and trees separately from your grass, since larger plants have deeper roots and will need to be watered differently. Keeping your lawn green can be a challenge and that’s why many people opt to use a sprinkler system for watering. In addition, watering during these hours helps prevent moisture from remaining on leaf surfaces during nightfall. If you live in a cooler climate area and have a small yard in suburbia with a sprinkler system it may not add much value whereas if you live in the countryside in an area with hot weather with a couple of acres of grass then a sprinkler system could add significant value to your property. How often you should water a lawn is dependent on several factors, including the type of soil. 1 inch typically in the cooler months of spring and fall, and 1.5 in the hotter months of summer. You should place empty cans of tuna on your lawn and turn your sprinkler system on and you can measure how deep the water in the cans gets to calculate how much water you have sprayed on your lawn. Plants need adequate moisture when transplanted from another location, during germination and when seedlings are first emerging. The pipes in your sprinkler system should automatically drain when turned off if you are concerned your pipes haven’t drained contact an irrigation specialist. How much should you water? Many different factors influence how much moisture your plants need to thrive, including what type of soil you have, your weather, what plant species you have in your yard and how much water your sprinkler heads put out. As with our lawns, most gardens receive twice as much water as they typically need. You shouldn’t worry about your sprinkler system freezing if it was properly installed. Well, an oscillating sprinkler is most useful for large lawns. Moisture doesn’t dry up as fast when you have a dry winter. To curb water waste, many municipal governments and agricultural extension offices have created irrigation calculators using local weather data to help homeowners determine how long to run their sprinklers. Allow the water to be fully absorbed before beginning the next cycle. If your area does not have a local resource to help calculate your sprinkler run times, or if managing your irrigation system seems overwhelming, you might consider contacting a trusted local lawn services company. 157 Shares. Heat evaporates moisture and will quickly lead to dry conditions. The most common sign that you have a leak or another irrigation problem is when your water bill suddenly goes up. Then turn on your sprinkler system for 15 minutes. During the spring months, you can expect to water between 20 and 50% less than during the summer. What Type Of Sprinkler System Do You Have? Choose native plants that are already adapted to your area and require less watering. Sprinkler Run Times. 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