July is Here!
Along with 4th of July Celebrations and vacations, July is typically the hottest driest month of the year. The demand for water for turf and landscapes is at its greatest and with a growing population and competition for other purposes, it’s very important to conserve this valuable resource. This is why the Irrigation Association has designated July as SMART IRRIGATION MONTH. The purpose is to conserve water and make landscapes healthy. It has been estimated that watering landscapes is responsible for approximately 70% of all water usage during the summertime and that percentage must be reduced if we want to have a sustainable future. Overwatering, broken equipment, inefficient equipment, old controllers, improper programming and poor design all contribute to wasting water.
Fortunately, due to advances in irrigation technology and proper training there are a number of things you can do to improve irrigation efficiency. These are some of the items I recommend:
- Replace your old controller with a smart controllers. All the major manufacturers make quality smart controllers and they are mostly weather and wifi based technology. The new smart controllers are more precise and will automatically increase and decrease your watering run times based upon temperature and other weather based conditions.
- Use drip irrigation for shrub and perimeter plantings. Drip irrigation is the most efficient application of water as it applies water at the soil and root zone very slowly. There is no interference of wind and minimal run off due to slopes. It works on low pressure and can be operated at any time of the day.
- Upgrade your rain sensor or have on installed. Rain Sensors are a simple inexpensive device that prevents watering during a rain event. They save thousands of gallons of water each day they are active and will pay for themselves in the course of one season.
- Precision sprinkler heads and nozzles. Using the proper sprinkler heads and the correct nozzles for the location being served will save water! Why water shady areas and sunny areas with the same nozzle? Why use a turf sprinkler head to water a flower bed? I am not sure why but I see it all the time and it wastes water and damages the landscape.
- Check your sprinkler system! Check your sprinkler system 2 -3x/ month during the summer. Simply run each zone for 3- 4 minutes and observe each sprinkler head. Are the sprinkler heads rotating, are there leaks, anything broken, are there clogged nozzles, are sprinkler heads out of adjustment? One study in one community in Florida resulted in over a 20% water saving just from fixing leaks.
- Fertigation is the application of small doses of fertilizer and bionutrients through the sprinkler system. Small of doses of fertilizer and bionutrients are injected into the sprinkler system and distributed throughout property through the sprinkler heads. The beauty of fertigation is that it applies only small amounts at any given time (approximately one tablespoon per 10 gallons) and limits the waste to almost zero. The products we use are all organic and natural and actually improves the soil as well as feeding plants. It provides organic matter and nutrients to the living creatures in the soil that plants need in order to survive. Feed the soil and you feed the plants. Better soil = better water holding capacity = less watering required = healthier plants!
For more info on how you can improve your lawn and landscape, reduce water consumption, and save money please visit our web site or contact us support@rainrich.com.
Happy 4th of July!
