Get the Most Out of Your Sprinklers with These Installation Tips
Posted on: 28 August 2017
Installing some sprinklers is the most efficient way to stop your lawn from getting thirsty and drying out, as they can cover the whole area without you having to spend ages wandering around with a watering can or hose pipe.
As convenient as sprinklers are, you need to make sure you set them up correctly to reap all of the benefits. If you get it wrong, you'll open your lawn up to a range of problems, from supplying too much or too little water to promoting the growth of fungus and the spread of disease.
Follow these tips when you're setting up and running your sprinklers so you can sit back and relax while they take good care of your lawn.
Positioning
The most important thing to do at first is to make sure your sprinklers will cover every possible part of your lawn. It should go without saying that, if there are gaps in coverage, the grass that isn't getting watered is going to suffer.
The simplest way to do this is to place them evenly around the lawn, making sure there aren't any sprinkler heads that are wasting water on bits of ground where there's no grass or spraying it on fences. Turn them on, note any problems, and readjust until you get it right.
If your sprinkler heads have adjustable heights, set them close to the ground. When they spray too high in the air, some water evaporates before it hits the ground, which is a waste.
Timing
If you water your lawn in the middle of the day, a lot of water will evaporate. In the evening, it will sit all night and promote fungal growth. First thing in the morning is the best time, so make sure you remember. If you invest in an automatic timer, you won't need to.
Don't be lured into thinking you need to run your sprinklers every day, as this will encourage shallow, unhealthy roots; two or three times a week on evenly-spaced days is enough to keep the lawn in great condition.
Length of watering
Too often, people run their sprinklers for just a few minutes, failing to supply enough water. Then there are those who leave them on for far too long and create a soggy mess. Make sure you monitor the situation carefully and adjust as necessary, particularly in particularly dry months. You can also cut back on watering during the winter, but play it by ear and make sure you don't let it dry out too much.
Share