Buying a Sprinkler
Saturday, July 31st, 2010An essential part of keeping your lawn healthy and green is watering at the right time and in the right amount. Though it depends on your average rainfall, you may need to buy a sprinkler system to keep it strong and lush. It may not seem so, but buying a sprinkler system can be a fairly involved process. It involves more than just making sure that the system will cover your entire yard.
Generally, you will make the decision of an above ground or underground sprinkler system based on how much time you want to invest in maintaining the system, the size of your lawn and how much cash you want to spend.
Underground systems are typically more expensive, but if you have an enormous lawn, then they are the best choice. Underground systems make it easier by far to maintain your lawn watering since you won’t have to worry about removing the sprinklers each time you mow or work on your lawn.
If your lawn is somewhat smaller, on the other hand, an elaborate underground system might be going a little overboard. At the low end of the scale of above ground sprinklers, you can buy a sprinkler attachment for your garden hose and just place that on the lawn. This method can work for larger lawns if you live in an area where the average daily or weekly inches rainfall is non sufficient.
Choosing sprinkler heads is not rocket science. Rotor heads are extremely handy for covering large lawns with a uniform amount of water. For sloping areas and soils with high amounts of clay, the dispersal rate of rotors is much slower running, at around a half inch to three quarters of an inch per hour; making them more suitable for this type of terrain. Most rotor heads are available in single or double heads with two nozzles that can water at varying distances. Know the type of soil and the average rainfall in your area before buying a sprinkler system.
If your sprinkler system is a programmable, then make sure that you allow for seasonal changes when you program. It is ill advised to try to go through the entire year on one setting. You will end up either under water or over watering. Another good way to save water and ensure your lawn gets as much as it needs is to choose a system that has rain sensors. These can sense rainfall and automatically adjust sprinkler settings to compensate. Depending upon the average rainfall your area receives, you may not need to water significantly. Employ a homemade gauge or a digital rain gauge, such as a Taylor rain gauge, to determine the specific amount of watering you will need.
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