Lawn Mowers


Underground sprinkler systems

March 28th, 2017 ernie Posted in Watering No Comments »

Underground sprinkler systemsInterest in underground sprinkler systems increases every year. An underground system has many advantages over a portable sprinkler system. The most obvious is the convenience of not having to constantly move it. Most underground systems are also more efficient than portable types. All areas receive the same amount of coverage.

Sprinkler heads apply predictable amounts of water over an exact area. This eliminates the most objectionable grievance pf portable sprinklers, even water distribution. An underground system combined with an automatic timer can even water your lawn while you’re away from home.

Underground sprinkler systems

Before deciding to install an underground end to end system, consider the initial cost of materials and the labor involved in installing it. Because of the increased popularity of such systems, manufactures now produce illustrated easy to follow directions for homeowners who do the work themselves. Materials have also become easier to install and less expensive.

Home owners living in cold climates that have below freezing temperatures in the winter, must also design their system for easy drainage. Drain water from the system for the winter. Any water left in the lines can freeze and potentially crack the pipes.

Keep in mind, however, that a poorly designed or poorly installed underground system can be as bad as or worse than a portable sprinkler. Our next post will cover typical installation considerations, potential problems and how they can be solved.

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Types of Sprinkler Systems

March 7th, 2017 ernie Posted in Watering No Comments »

Types of Sprinkler SystemsThere are many different types of sprinkler systems. Stationary sprinklers deliver water in an irregular pattern. The accumulation of water in the containers may vary from 8 inches an hour in one spot, to 2 inches an hour just four feet away. It may be almost nothing near the sprinkler head. There is no predictable pattern that leads to proper overlapping and efficient watering. However, it is unfair to label the sprinkler useless. As long as you know how it distributes water, it can be valuable for spot watering, or supplementing other types of sprinklers.

Oscillating arms sprinklers deliver water in a rectangular pattern. Many observers believe that this type of sprinkler deposits most of the water near the sprinkler head. With increasing amounts toward the periphery is the arm moves away from the vertical central position. Well this is true of older models, newer versions stall momentarily when the arm is furthest from its upright position, thus evening out distribution at the periphery.

Types of Sprinkler Systems

The whirling head sprinkler deposits the largest amount of water close to the sprinkler head. The amount decreases the further away it goes from the source of the spray. Water distribution is uneven when the sprinkler is used without a system of overlapping. With a 50% overlap, efficiency increases and the sprinkler becomes quite useful.

Impulse sprinklers are best for large areas and are commonly used for golf course lawns. And internal jet rotates the sprinkler, which delivers pulses of water covering anywhere from a full circle to a part circle. Coverage to your lawn is quite even.

By combining the knowledge gained from experimentation and observant eye, it is quite easy to set up the watering schedule for your lawn with a portable sprinkler.

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Measuring water sprinkler delivery to your lawn

February 21st, 2017 ernie Posted in Watering No Comments »

Measuring water sprinkler delivery to your lawnMeasuring water sprinkler delivery to your lawn is quite easy. Set up a grid-like pattern of small containers of the same size on a section of the lawn. Even though different types of sprinklers require different grid patterns, it is a good idea to start with a straight line of containers, extending them at set intervals. You want to start from close to the sprinkler Head to just outside the reach of the water.

Measuring water sprinkler delivery to your lawn

Turn the sprinkler on at the normal operating pressure. Leave it on for a set period of time. Then record the amount of water deposited into each container. This gives you a good idea of the sprinkler pattern, as well as the amount of water distributed.

Realizing that the lawn generally needs 1 to 2 inches of water per week, the container test is an easy method to follow. It helps you determine how long to turn on the sprinkler and to what degree to overlap the sprinkling pattern for efficient watering.

As you can see from the picture you can use any kind of container that you would like. The important thing is to keep them all the same size and then measure accurately with a ruler or tape measure. If you let the sprinkler run for 30 minutes, and then take your measurements you will be able to figure out how long you need to water to deliver 1 inch to 2 inches of water per week.

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Watering Efficiently New Lawns

January 21st, 2017 ernie Posted in Watering No Comments »

watering efficiently new lawnsWatering efficiently new lawns involves a special set of rules for newly seeded lawns or newly sodded lawns. Sprinkling is, at the least, an everyday requirement. For seeds to germinate or sod roots to nit, watering is often required more than once a day. This is especially true if you are in a dry climate, or are experiencing drought conditions. Watering efficiently new lawns in these conditions will avoid the new sod from turning brown and dying. But what do you do when it comes to existing lawns? How often and for how long should you water?

Watering Efficiently New Lawns

Besides watering more deeply and less frequently, you can increase watering efficiency by improving other cultural practices. Two major problems that result in poor water penetration are thatch and compacted soil. If the problems are bad enough, either can actually repel water, causing wasteful runoff. Regular D thatching and aerating can increase water penetration, Provide air in the root zone, and aid in nutrient simulation.

You can conserve water by following recommended mowing heights and by adding fertilizers that are high in potassium and low in nitrogen before hot weather arrives.

Fertilizing properly is an important factor in efficient watering. Under-fertilizing invites competition from water-hungry weeds and reduces the capacity of the lawn for wear and tear. Over-fertilizing can be just as damaging. It promotes vigorous, water and regrowth of the lawn, which causes thatch to develop and reduces the ability of a cool season grass to recover from summer dormancy.

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Watering during a Drought

January 7th, 2017 ernie Posted in Watering No Comments »

Watering during a DroughtWhen drought conditions exist, a lawn slows its growth, becomes wilted and brown, and may die. If you live in an area where water conservation is requested or enforced, you simply have to hope that your lawn survives the stress. If it dies, replant with a more drought-tolerant grass when suitable weather returns. During times of drought, lawns that are under a system of survival watering still develop a spotty thin appearance. watering during a drought will help your lawn survive.

Here are some basic watering rules in case your area experiences a drought:

Watering during a Drought

  • Do not apply nitrogen fertilizer to lawns when drought conditions exist.
  • Mow your grass higher and less often. However, do not let it grow more than twice the recommended mowing height.
  • Reduce weed competition.
  • Irrigate without runoff to root zone depth (6 to 8 inches ) when you’re lawn shows the need.

There is a difference between a drought-stressed brown lawn and a dormant brown lawn. Cool season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass or fescue, become dormant in the hottest part of the summer, returning to full vigor in the cooler fall weather. If water is abundant and you started an effective watering program the previous spring, it is possible to keep your cool season lawn green during this dormant period. By continuing to water throughout the summer. However, if the lawn becomes dormant, let it stay that way. Too many fluctuations between dormancy and active growth can weaken a lawn.

Check with the local weather bureau for climate information. It should be helpful in setting up your specific watering program. Rain gauges are also a useful tool. By knowing how much rain falls, you can tell how much supplemental water you need. Do not be misled by light drizzles that supply little moisture to the soil. However, watering after a light shower can be an effective way of reducing water loss through evaporation.

If drought is a recurring problem, you may want to plant a more drought-resistant lawn.

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