How to Reduce Water Waste While Maintaining a Healthy Lawn
Even a careful waterer may notice the occasional area where water pools on a lawn because of poor drainage. This water isn’t doing anything for your grass, but it will still show up on your utility bill. One way to address this problem – and others – is the installation of an irrigation system. Here are some thoughts to consider when deciding if this kind of system is right for you.
Portable Sprinklers or Irrigation System?
Many homeowners consider basic portable sprinklers to be the simplest alternative to walking around with a hose. Unfortunately, this method doesn’t save much time or effort. You’ll still have to carefully monitor the water you’re dispensing to ensure that it’s the appropriate amount. In addition, these sprinklers have to be moved around a lawn to make sure that all areas are covered.
An in-ground irrigation system would incorporate sprinklers in all of those strategic spots to ensure even distribution of the appropriate amount of water. The newest models feature smart technology that allows you to change precision settings remotely.
Simplify Monitoring Rainfall
We often repeat that the average lawn requires an average of one to one-and-a-half inches of water every week. When we talk with homeowners about the importance of watering appropriately, most people are concerned about watering too little. In the summer we tend to focus on heat and the dryness that often accompanies it.
But overwatering also causes problems, even in hot, dry conditions. Excess water can erode soil, which takes its critical nutrients along when it washes away. Wet conditions can also encourage the growth of molds and other fungi, as well as attracting certain kinds of harmful insects.
An advanced irrigation system can take the guesswork out of measuring rainfall, assessing the moisture level of soil in various locations and releasing only the amount of water that’s needed to make up for any shortfall.
Is an Irrigation System a Smart Investment?
The average American homeowner spends between $3,000 and $16,000 on the design and installation of their landscape. That’s an investment worth protecting. Proper watering technique will help to maintain the health and beauty of your lawn and preserve as an important component of your property’s rising value over time. An irrigation system can take a lot of the uncertainty and labor out of the watering process, conserving water and saving money while freeing up time and energy that you can devote to some of the other items on the endless list of tasks that accompanies home ownership.
