If you want your commercial property to have a beautiful lawn, you need to have an irrigation system in place — no ifs, ands or buts.
More importantly, though, you need an irrigation system that’s efficient, easily controllable and doesn’t make your budget bleed.
Many of our commercial clients have questions about irrigation and choosing the right system for their property. Here are some of the most common, answered!
What’s the right irrigation system for my property?
Obviously, it can be difficult to know exactly how much water each area of your landscape requires, whether lawn, garden beds or shaded and sunny areas. Add in rainfall amounts and you have another variable! Even the slope of your property can determine how much water you need, because it can affect drainage, leaving some areas more hydrated than others.
For these reasons, we always recommend an irrigation system that’s divided into zones, where certain zones get more water than others. These zones also include different waterflow devices for each zone — for example, sprinklers on the lawn, but drip irrigation for certain garden beds.
Do I really need an irrigation system?
While it’s completely up to you, we highly recommend it because it’s the best way to ensure your landscape stays healthy and beautiful all summer long.
A traditional irrigation system can be set on a timer, but the best and easiest way to take care of everything is a smart irrigation system, which leads us to our next question.
What is smart irrigation and what are the benefits?
A smart irrigation system is computerized, programmed to water each zone according to its unique needs. It can monitor the weather and soil conditions so you don’t overwater after a rainfall.
It’s system is set up to work automatically, but you can conveniently control it when necessary through a tablet or phone app, or through a website, where you can also find all kinds of handy data about your irrigation. Of course, most landscaping firms (including Landscape America) are happy to monitor everything for you so you don’t have to worry about it.
While there are a lot of parts to a smart irrigation system, it “self monitors” and can detect issues with pipes, sprinkler heads or wires before they become problems.
Can I save more money on my water bills?
A smart irrigation system can absolutely save you money on your water bills. While it will cost you some money up front, in the long run, you can save between 25% to 50% on your water bills because these modern systems are so incredibly efficient. When should irrigation systems be turned on, off or audited? Generally, it’s best to turn on irrigation systems after the last frost in the spring, then off before the first frost of the fall, because you don’t want the pipes to freeze. An audit should be performed before turning it on and before turning it off in the fall.
The audit can check for leaks or cracks in the pipes, ensure the sprinkler heads and rotors are functioning properly and aimed correctly, and make sure all the system’s settings are still programmed for ideal hydration for your landscape.
What’s a Certified Irrigation Technician?
A Certified Irrigation Technician is an irrigation experts certified by the Irrigation Association. To get certified, you have to pass a three-hour exam to test your knowledge of irrigation, electrical and hydraulic principles. To maintain a certification, you have keep your knowledge up to date by completing new education units every two years.
At Landscape America, we have several Certified Irrigation Technicians on staff to recommend the right system for you, and help you maintain and optimize your system throughout the year.
Get in touch with us today to see how we help you make your commercial landscape the best hydrated in the neighborhood!
