When it comes to watering your garden and providing irrigation for your
plants, your trusty old garden hose will perform well. The only problem
is keeping up and maintaining an efficient watering system that will
benefit your lawn and preventing water waste. If you want to use a
system that can offer both convenience and efficiency, consider
installing either a manual or an automatic sprinkler system.
Go Manual Or Automatic?
If you're the type of person who has time to spend on your lawn or
garden and don’t mind the job, go for the manual sprinkler system. A
manual system also allows you to control the use of water personally, so
you can be assured of the efficient use of your resources.
The only problem with a manual sprinkler system is that it requires
someone to open the valves in order to allow the sprinkler to work.
This is probably a good system for you if you're the type of person who
has time to spend in the garden. If your lifestyle or work requires you
to leave your garden for days or weeks at a time, a manual sprinkler
system may not be the right system for you.
If you prefer a water sprinkler system you don't have to think about,
then choose an automatic sprinkler. This system allows you to water
your plants on a set schedule. When used properly, an automatic
sprinkler system can provide an efficient watering system for your lawn,
giving you more time to take care of other things. Incorrect use of an
automatic sprinkler system can often lead to the use of about 30% to
50% more water than your garden or lawn needs.
There are different types of automatic sprinkler systems. Some can even
detect moisture levels and turn on automatically if the ground gets too
dry. Automatic sprinkler systems have timers that can be
electronically controlled, so the sprinkler can turn on or off without
any manipulation from you.
Sprinkler Types
There are different sprinkler types that you can use uniformly or in
combination, depending on the needs of your lawn. A rotary sprinkler is
one that spins 360 degrees, sprinkling water in a circle and is ideal
for use in garden beds and small lawns. This covers about 50 feet in
diameter. Water pressure may be adjusted.
Spray sprinklers throw water like fountains and cover about 10 to 30
feet of lawn space. This is a good sprinkler to use if your lawn area
is small or irregularly-shaped. An oscillating sprinkler allows for
quick watering and is probably the most common. It also has the highest
lawn coverage and is ideal for rectangular lawns.
An impulse sprinkler rotates partially or in full and shoots water at
intervals. This offers coverage of about 80 feet and is best used in
large lawns and garden beds. Although water flow may be adjusted, this
is the type of sprinkler that shoots water slowly and is ideal if you
have newly planted seeds or plants.
Spacing Your Sprinklers
It's important that you take measurements and plan or design a layout
for your sprinkler system. This will save you from a lot of wasted
effort and unnecessary equipment. Consider the size and shape of your
lawn to determine the number and placement of the sprinkler heads and
the right water pressure to use. If your lawn is especially large, you
might also need to use more than one water circuit.
Where to position your sprinkler heads is an important consideration.
Your main objective is uniformity in terms of water coverage, so you'll
need to make sure that one sprinkler head will throw water that will
overlap the next sprinkler head. Sprinklers are designed this way, to
make sure that they don’t miss watering certain areas of your lawn.
Overlapping is referred to as head to head coverage or spacing, which
assures no dry spots. Position sprinklers to provide 80-100% overlap.
While this may seem like a lot, you'll see the difference if you try a
sprinkler system with heads that are farther away from each other. Try
to keep to the recommended sprinkler head positioning to ensure uniform
watering. Sprinkler heads are often installed using a square grid or
triangular layout.
Digging Your Trenches
Digging is probably the most important and most time consuming part of
your sprinkler system installation. Take note of your soil type and
make sure to not to touch or damage any underground utilities. If you
can, use a trencher to shorten your digging time and make installation
easier. By using a trencher, you'll have a less messy job.
Trenches should be from 6" to 10" deep. You might also allow for a ¼"
drop every five feet to allow water to drain in one direction during the
winter. With hard work, you'll probably complete this project within
about least 3 days, more if your yard is bigger.
