Your garden landscape is looking beautiful and you want to do your part to maintain its growth. Watering is important and a spray nozzle or sprinkler on your garden hose is a go-to method for any homeowner. However, making sure your lawn and garden receive adequate hydration can prove challenging during hot summer days. As a result, irrigation systems have become well-liked with homeowners. So what are your irrigation systems options?
Drip Irrigation is a system of rubber hoses laid in garden soil. These hoses contain small holes. As the name implies, drip irrigation delivers a continuous dribble of water directly to the soil which provides a steady soaking and encourages absorption. The advantage of this direct method is less runoff and less soil erosion. The tubing system can, however, be at risk of damage from garden maintenance tools or small animals attracted to it as a water source.
Sprinkler Systems spray water into the air via an underground pipe system that connects to watering heads. This is a popular system for lawns, gardens and shrubs because it can water a large area in a short time. Sprinkler systems are ideal for flat stretches of land and offer the advantage of automated timers. Homeowners can set up a timed schedule and zone for watering. Many systems are also equipped with sensors to shut off scheduled watering when there has been adequate rainfall.
The main types of sprinkler systems are; Rotors versus Fixed Spray Heads. A Rotary system can be used for larger coverage areas. It rotates to spray water in circles with a 15-50 foot radius of throw. Fixed spray heads deliver a constant stream of water in a fan shape similar to a showerhead. This system covers a 5-15 foot area. Each of these sprinklers has a different precipitation rate so it is important not to incorporate them into the same irrigation zone.
The disadvantage to sprinkler systems is that the water is sprayed into the air resulting in some water loss due to evaporation and water sprayed on surrounding hardscape areas.
Both drip and sprinkler systems provide consistency to your watering routine which can reduce your water usage and will optimize your lawns hydration.