Water is really the lifeblood of any garden and landscape so knowing what type of sprinkler system you need or want is key to the success of your efforts.
There is a lot to know about sprinkler systems and they can easily start to feel a little overwhelming, but with some preparation and planning you can be confident that you have chosen the best sprinkler system for your garden.
For your lawn:
Your lawn will definitely be your biggest water guzzler! Make sure to include a rain/water gauge in your traditional sprinkler system that will shut off the system when you get precipitation from mother nature – this will help save water over the long run.
For shrubs, flower beds, and garden boxes:
Drip systems are an excellent choice for these more delicate areas of your landscape. This is my personal preference. You get the water right to the base and roots of the plants, and in generally, you lose much less to evaporation. When relying on a drip system to water your garden crops make sure to stay on top of the weeds in your beds as they will use up water that could otherwise be directed to the plants that you are trying to grow.
Drip systems also help keep flowers healthy and strong – some flowers will begin to grow at weird angles and their colors may fade is they are consistently watered from above the plant, and some flowering perennials are even more susceptible to a variety of diseases if the water is delivered from above the plant instead of around the base.
For trees:
Trees really do well with long deep soaks around their roots. In order to consistently accomplish this watering method you can use what is commonly referred to as soaker hoses.
Essentially, a soaker hose is a hose that has lots of small holes throughout the length of the hose. By very loosely wrapping a soaker hose around the base area of the tree the ground all around the roots of the tree will get a deep soaking watering which will reach all the way down to the tips of the roots.
As you can see, different zones throughout your landscape have vastly different needs and requirements for effective watering, leading to a variety of sprinkler systems and layouts.
The best thing you can do is to plan ahead and think about what type of sprinkler system will be needed before you plant so that your plants will be able to get the water that they need from the very beginning.
Want to learn more about planning your garden? Read this article: 5 MUST DO Steps BEFORE Planting Your Garden
