On the fence about installing a sprinkler system? Maybe you’re thinking that it’s too expensive or complicated, too time-consuming to manage, or just not worth it for the results that you get. And that’s all true … for a badly installed sprinkler system.
A well-designed and properly installed sprinkler system, on the other hand, makes life a lot simpler and your lawn a whole lot more beautiful — all while costing less time, money, and effort. From water conservation to fertigation, a sprinkler system provides surprising advantages for your yard.
1. Increase Turf and Landscape Health
When a lawn starts to struggle and look brown and stressed, it’s usually because the roots just aren’t getting enough water. And on the flip side, if they get too much water, the soil will become soggy and waterlogged, and you may start seeing mushrooms and other evidence of fungus. Just like with a human body, a balanced water uptake will support the health of the entire organism, and consistency is key.
So before blaming the brown spots in your lawn on the heat, the cold, the wind, or the weather, make sure that your landscape has enough water delivered to the right places for optimal hydration. A good sprinkler system will deliver the right amount of water in the right intervals to saturate the roots across the entire lawn, boosting its vitality and making it more resistant to stress from temperatures and weather, and reducing the chance of fungus from overwatering.
2. Conserve Water
A well-designed and properly calibrated sprinkler system will actually conserve water over time because it eliminates water waste. The water runs for the optimal amount of time to rule out overwatering, and sprinkler heads are aimed at the grass, not at driveways, walkways, or fences.
Smart irrigation controllers offer another level of conservation utility, with features like auto watering adjustments based on weather conditions and an automatic shutoff in case of rain. These smart sprinkler systems can use up to 25% less water than a regular timer-based system.
If you do have a sprinkler system that runs on a timer, make seasonal adjustments in order to maximize landscape hydration without excessive water use. For example, lawns generally need the most water in the hot months of middle summer, and less in the cooler spring and fall months. (And if you don’t want to be messing with your irrigation timer all the time, a sprinkler system maintenance service can take care of that for you.)
3. Cool Your Home
A secondary bonus to a well-watered lawn is the cooling effect that turf grass has on its surrounding environment. Turf grass often gets a bad rap for being environmentally unfriendly, but a well-watered lawn provides at least one major environmental benefit: cooling down nearby structures.
Shingles, concrete, asphalt, and other hard man-made surfaces all absorb energy from the sun as heat, which can raise temperatures and create heat islands, particularly in cities. Turf grass, meanwhile, actively cools things down through the process of evapotranspiration, which simply means the evaporation of water off the plant surfaces.
While Minnesota winters may feel never-ending, when summer comes it can bring temperatures in the 80s and 90s, which is well into the “uncomfortably hot” zone. But well-watered turf grass can reduce temperatures anywhere from 7 to 14 degrees, which is enough to actually have an impact on your air conditioning costs!
4. Fertilize with Ease
Fertilizing is important in order to create a lush, healthy lawn. But lawn fertilizer itself can be expensive to buy and difficult to apply. But you can make things much simpler by integrating fertilization with irrigation or as we like to call it, fertigation.
Fertigation works by attaching an injection tank to a sprinkler system. The tank releases an organic liquid fertilizer into the system so that the fertilizer is deployed wherever the water is. This results in a continuous and even application of nutrients across the entire lawn, with zero extra work from you or a maintenance company. A fertigated lawn will be both well-watered and well-fed.
And because the fertilizer solution is organic, there’s no need to worry about toxic runoff or health risks to kids or animals, which makes it perfect for home backyards.
5. Save Time and Money
Although it comes with upfront costs, a sprinkler system will save you money over the long term just by reducing overall irrigation water use, cooling your home zone, and keeping turf and landscapes healthy so that plant material doesn’t have to be replaced.
It saves you time, too: a good sprinkler system means not having to hand-water dry spots, move a hose-end sprinkler around your lawn all day, or have to reseed dead patches every season.
In the big picture, irrigation systems are a truly cost-effective way to improve the health and beauty of your lawn and landscape, without draining your wallet or constantly demanding your attention.
And now is the perfect time to start thinking about the advantage of smart sprinklers, landscape financing, and irrigation repair and maintenance. So contact us online or call us today at 763-398-0739 to get your questions answered or schedule a free, no-obligation sprinkler system consultation!
