Five Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Lawn Sprinkler System

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Underground sprinkler systems are one way to keep your home's landscaping looking its best. Irrigation firms offer installations, repairs and maintenance contracts on a variety of systems. The sprinklers are individually fashioned for your home's footprint and designed to "pop-up" when in use and then retract when the watering task is done. This makes it easier to mow lawns and do other landscaping chores. The sprinkler heads are also insulated by the soil, protecting them from cold weather conditions. The pipes are already underground and similarly protected. Below are five tips to make your already convenient and easy to use sprinkler system even more efficient.

Get Rid of Weeds

When watering, it makes sense to want that water to benefit the lawn or ornamental plants, not the weeds that amazingly seem to appear out of nowhere.  Weeds are hearty plants that will suck up more of that precious water than you'd like. Over time, those weeds may take over. Either eliminate those weeds yourself or call a landscaper to take care of the problem.

Mulching Your Yard

Mulching is more associated with flower beds and other plantings that tend to show some bare soil between the plants. If your sprinkler system takes care plant beds, adding mulch in between those plants helps to keep moisture in the ground. Lawns, which when mature have a continuous root system, do well if aerated once in a while. This punches holes in the lawn bed, allowing the water better access to the soil. The faster water reaches the soil, the less is lost to evaporation.

Water Early or Late in the Day

Timing you sprinkler system to water early or late in the day also conserves water. Direct sunlight, particularly in hotter climates, tends to evaporate much of the sprinkler's water. It tends to be less windy during these time periods. The water intended for your lawn stays there, rather than being blown away. If you have a manual sprinkler system, just keep an eye on temperature and wind speed before you turn it on.

Avoid Over-Watering

While plants do need adequate water, they also need oxygen to thrive. Oxygen is pulled in primarily by the leaves. This is called plant respiration, or "breathing." Try to avoid over-watering your lawn and other plants to the point where they are covered in puddles. That could effectively "drown" your plants.

Keep System Maintained

Your lawn sprinkler system is a fine tuned bit of machinery, with plenty of moving parts. Setting up a maintenance schedule keeps that system operating efficiently. If you live in an area that gets snow, winterizing your system is a must. Water expands as it freezes, so all moisture must be blown out of the system to avoid burst pipes. Likewise, after the spring thaw, the system should be checked for leaks and other issue before use. Using a qualified landscaper for this service is your best bet.

For more information, visit a website such as http://www.krupskesprinklers.com.


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