Do you know your turf grass lawn is approximately 85-90 percent water? Yes, that is true; water is what makes your grass look that good, or bad, when watered insufficiently.
In different regions, requirement of water by grass varies, for instance, in Colorado, a region with a semi arid climate, blue grass lawns require 2 inches of water per week from May thru September. Thus, it is crucial that you know how much water your lawn receives from your sprinkler system. To use water more efficiently, it is important to monitor your sprinkler system. To check how much water your system puts out in a given period, you can use a rain gauge or a simple “Tuna Can.”
Steps to test your sprinkler system
- Place your gauge in an area of your lawn, and set your “clock” or “timer” for 15 minutes.
- Measure the amount of water you recorded. In a “pop-up” system you may get 3-5/10’s of an inch of water. “180 Degree Rotary” may get 1/10”, and “360 Degree Rotary” may get 1/20” in 15 minutes.
- After you have discovered the amount of water your system delivers for every 15 minutes, you can then adjust the time for each zone to achieve the correct amount of output for the current conditions.
Restrictions and guidelines for watering
In Colorado, there are watering guidelines or restrictions in place. They limit the number of days per week you are allowed to water. Three days per week is the general rule.And most communitiesalso have information on how much water your lawn needs each week. To water your lawn optimally in synch with the information, under the restrictions, it becomes imperative to know how much water your sprinkler system puts out in a given time. After churning these numbers, you are able to determine how long and how often to water your lawn.
Tips to water your lawn efficiently
- It is best to water early in the morning or in the early evening. Watering when the sun is out and shining, that is, between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., is generally NOT recommended or allowed, due to high rate of evaporation.
- Another thing to pay attention to is runoff, which occurs when the soil cannot absorb all of the water that is puts out. There is a process called cycle and soak to correct runoff. In this process, water each zone for shorter periods and multiple times on each watering day. This allows the water to soak into the soil where it can be used by the grass.
- A broken sprinkler system can ruin all your plans; therefore, it is essential that you check for standard failures, such as backflows and clogged heads and if found, call us at 720-851-7550 to repair the damage.
- There are tools can help you to water more efficiently, such as rain sensor and smart clocks. A rain sensor turns off your sprinkler system, when it rains. Smart clocks connect to a weather station, and use weather data to determine how much water your lawn needs.Call us at 720-851-7550 for a quote to upgrade your system and save water.
Do your bit to save water and in the process, following these tips diligently, have a lawn that your neighbors envy.
Do you want this “DONE FOR ME” or is this too complicated?
Click “DO IT FOR ME”to request a quote.