July is designated as smart Irrigation Month. In our area, July is the hottest driest month of the year. The national irrigation association, www.irrigation.org, has dedicated its resources to educating the public and water professionals to using water efficiently and making every drop of water count. July is the peak time to water and keep our lawn and landscape looking great and healthy.
Here are my recommendations for watering this month:
- Water early in the morning and have your sprinkler system complete its cycle before you wake and begin using water. Early morning watering is efficient and effective in that there is little evaporation and wind, most if not all water will percolate into the soil and root zone where it is needed.
Schedule your sprinkler system to every other day watering. Most water companies and Nassau County code require that you water on even days if your home is an even number address and odd days if your home is an odd number address.- Check your irrigation system once/week for a few minutes per zone to make sure the system is functioning properly. Look for sprinkler heads to pop up, to rotate if they are rotary sprinklers and spray if they are spray sprinklers. Look for broken pipes and or other types of restrictions such as a tree root growing around a pipe.
- Over time, landscapes will change and grow, the foliage growth can block the spray of sprinkler heads causing the targeted coverage area to fall short. Either cut back the growth or have Rain Rich return to add sprinklers or modify the system.
- Inspect the rain sensor. Rain sensors are normally mounted on the side of the home and near the roof edge. Visually inspect to make sure it is not blocked by tree growth, and or damaged. Rain sensors are small micro switch devices that only last 5 -10 years. If your rain sensor is older than 10 years, then most likely will need to be replaced. Rain Sensors save thousands of gallons of water each time they keep your system from turning on. Saving water equals saving money!
Install a Smart Irrigation Controller! Smart Irrigation Controllers have been around for a few years, and they work great! It’s a huge advancement in irrigation technology and water management. The programming is simple to see and adjust. All can be managed and controlled by your smart phone. The programming is in the cloud and is connected to weather data. This allows for automatic adjustments based upon temperature and prediction of rainfall. It is estimated that, depending on the season, there is a 30- 50% water savings. It is worth considering upgrading from your current controller to a smart controller. The savings in water will cover the cost of the upgrade as well as saving you money in the future. The other important benefit is it will prevent overwatering, which can be detrimental to the health of your landscape. Too much water displaces oxygen in the soil and plants drown. To learn more about smart controllers please visit hydrawise.com.
July is a busy month for us here at Rain Rich! Please call 631-423-2211 or visit our website at www.rainrich.com to request service. To learn more about smart controllers and irrigation please visit our blog at www.rainrich.com/blog. We look forward to serving you!
