Irrigating Your Lawn & Garden

The heat of summer takes a nasty toll on your plants. Not only is the air hot, but the soil, too, is hot and even more often, dangerously dry. When your landscape dries out, it's difficult to properly moisten it again.

A relatively moderate investment in an irrigation system can save valuable time you would otherwise spend watering your lawn and plants, as well as protect the investment you have in your landscape. With the time constraints on today's family, I really think an irrigation system is almost a must. You can hire a professional to engineer and install it for you or you can read up on how, gather the appropriate parts, grab a shovel and do it yourself.

Now, 30 years ago, I would have said these systems were a joke - lines clogged easily, the moveable water heads got stuck and wouldn't move, lines didn't drain thoroughly and pipes froze in the winter. What's more, the systems were as prohibitively expensive as they were obstinate.

New technology and materials have changed all that. Pipes are now made of materials that allow for ease of installation as well as dependability with properly fitting parts and better adhesives. The pop-up heads that provide the water really do "pop- up" and then disappear into the ground until needed again.

But I think the most worthy feature of all is the timers that are available. They have zones and can be sequenced to turn the system on and off automatically. This allows you to water early in the day, thereby reducing evaporation loss and providing time for foliage to dry out, helping reduce disease. In addition, sensors are available that can detect rainfall and shut the system off to prevent watering during a summer shower.

Systems can be installed before landscaping is done. If your landscape is already in place, an irrigation system can still be put in without doing irreparable damage. Even large, older trees can be included in the irrigation design without injury to the trees if you're careful to respect their root zones during installation. New equipment allows pipes and wires to be installed into narrow cuts in the grass, instead of the wide trenches that used to be the norm.

Systems can be engineered to allow variable amounts of water to reach different parts of your yard. A good design includes consideration for individual plant requirements and avoidance of overlap. Certain trees may need less frequent, but longer periods of watering to reach their deeper roots. Shrub beds and flower gardens can also be separated from lawn areas that require more frequent irrigation.

Whether you install it yourself or take advantage of a good landscape firm in your area to install it for you, consider an irrigation system. After the investment you have made in your landscape, an irrigation system is an easy way to keep your plants healthy and looking great at all times.