Now that the weather is warmer and the unofficial start of summer has begun on Long Island it’s time to begin automatic watering of your sprinkler system. Determining the frequency and run time you should water is part science and part art. A big part to answering this question is due to the type of landscape you manage. Lawn or turf requires more water and greater frequency. Trees and shrubs require less. There are many variables and we need to consider the weather, soil type, sunny areas, shady areas, type of plants, type of grass, hilly property vs. flat, to name just a few. Every property is unique and requires a careful analysis before programming your irrigation system to water automatically.
Over watering can be as detrimental as not watering at all. Heavy soils, mostly clay, dominate the north shore of Long Island and do not allow for deep watering as recommended by many landscape professionals. What is deep watering? The unofficial rule of thumb is apply 1” of water per week during the summer months. If you try to water at this rate at one time most of the water will either puddle on the ground or run off to other areas. A big waste of water. A moderate amount of water two to three times per week works best. On an existing landscape and lawn 20 -30 minutes of run time per rotary zone 2- 3x per week works well. Spray zones that run 5 – 10 minutes per zone 2 -3x per week works well also. Sunny areas may need more and shady areas less. In real hot weather cycling your system to run again after the first cycle is finished allows for water to percolate in rather than run off. Adjustments to your programming should be made each week. Visually observing your irrigation in progress is very important as you want to insure every sprinkler head and every pipe is functioning properly. Always be on the lookout for broken or leaky pipes and sprinkler heads. Make sure every zone turns on and off properly. If you notice a problem call the office or email rainrich.
Installing and or upgrading to a smart controller is very beneficial as it allows you to operate your system from anywhere there is WiFi. The programming is the cloud and is connected to local weather date and will automatically increase and decrease your watering based upon temperature and other data. The Hydrawise system also provides reports that allows you to view your progress. This new technology is a great tool and a giant leap in water management in the irrigation industry. I like and prefer the Hydrawise Smart Controller manufactured by Hunter Industries. To learn more please visit www.hydrawise.com. Smart Controllers pay for themselves due to the water savings. They will also help you maintain a healthy landscape. If you have questions or want to learn more then please visit our website at www.rainrich.com. If you require service please call the office at 631-423-2211 or email at irrigationspecialist@rainrich.com.
