No matter what season it is, if you notice that your front garden or backyard is dry, you have to act quickly. Otherwise, you risk having to deal with a heat-stressed lawn in the near future. But when you decide to take some measures and go to your local gardening shop, you’ll come across a confusing abundance of irrigation systems, sprinklers and whatnot. The current post is intended to help learn the basics of today’s top watering techniques and choose the most appropriate option for your lawn, garden and backyard.
Table of Contents
Drip Irrigation
The drip technique is quite popular in areas with restricted access to water supplies. This is true due to the fact that these installations actually conserve water. While great for your veggie garden, they are pretty useless in the grass-only area.
The special hoses let the liquid get to the root system of herbs, vegetables and other plants, leaving their leaves dry, which helps prevent the growth of fungus. This means that all the nutrients go directly to where they are needed the most, at the right time and amounts. Drip irrigation ensures optimal growth for all the crops while saving gardeners tons of water, energy, fertilizers and crop protection products.
The system itself consists of many pipes called “dripper lines” that work with smaller units called “drippers”. The water and nutrients flow through the pipes and the “drippers” are the ones that emit this healthy mixture to your crops.
Watering The Old Way
Yeah, yeah… doing old-school irrigation means using traditional tools as well – the good old hose and even watering cans if it’s a rather small-scale garden. Watering by hand is again not the most preferable option for your lawn but it could be just perfect for flower, herb and veggie gardens. The mastery here is in figuring out exactly when it has been enough and it’s time for you to stop applying more water.
Sprinkler Irrigation Systems
Finally, here is the number one method currently used for lawn watering by homeowners in Melbourne. Probably that’s the reason why there’s such a tremendous range of sprinkler types and models: round, square, pistol-like, oscillating and so on. You also have those little travelling sprinkler cars that drive around the lawn and cover the largest areas. It’s easy to get lost. The good thing about irrigation systems is that they require an exact amount of water. This will ensure your lawn will get the right amount of water and will cut costs. This way you will be sure that the water is distributed evenly across your property. Something which is impossible to achieve by hand.
But how does it operate exactly?
Well, first of all, we will start with the basic components of a system like this. You have the electric controller which turns the system on and off and it’s basically the brains of the whole thing. It also tells the system which part of the property needs watering and when. The watering itself is done through pipes placed underground and nozzles which are near the surface. When the system is turned on, the pipes fill with pressure and the nozzles simply pop-out.
Probably, the most important thing when setting up a sprinkler system is zoning. Zoning is used to determine which part of your lawn should get the proper amount of water.
For example – the corner of your property is under a tree. This usually means that it requires a smaller quantity of water. That is why your sprinkler should be set up to distribute the right amount or you could flood your lawn and damage the turf.
Some General Rules
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One of the key principles in lawn and garden irrigation is to always try to save water.
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Watering not too late in the day is also a good idea – it helps minimise evaporation.
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Apply water deeply but not too often.
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Proper and regular mowing is another thing to ensure healthy grass around your house all year round.
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In many cases, the natural rainfalls will be sufficient for the smooth growth of grass. Do not water too soon after the rain – wait to see the signs that clearly tell you your lawn is thirsty.
