Lawn Sprinkler Systems – Your Way To The Greenest Lawn In Town
strong>Author: Lee Dobbins
Maintaining a luscious and green lawn is best and easiest done by getting one of those lawn sprinkler systems. Not only do they provide you with the convenience of watering your lawn automatically, they also ensure that your turf gets the optimal irrigation it needs. While lawn sprinkler systems might be rather costly, it is not true that they are a waste of money, or only for people who are too lazy to water their lawn. In reality, lawn sprinkler systems could save you money because they ensure that you only consume the right amount of water for your lawn, keeping your water bills in check.
Why Get a Lawn Sprinkler System?
Using a hose to water your lawn wastes your time, effort and money. Aside from that, it also does not provide you grass with enough water because you would be quite difficult to ensure that you are targeting the roots correctly. But with lawn sprinkler systems, you are sure that your plants get the right amount of water in the right places. This decreases the likelihood of your lawn from experiencing drought, and thus avoiding the expensive ordeal of replacing dead grass, saving you even more money. In addition to all these is the convenience of not needing to devote much attention to your lawn because of automation. Furthermore, a lawn sprinkler system also raises the value of your property.
Kinds of Lawn Sprinkler Systems
There are many types of lawn watering systems available for different needs and budgets. Typical watering systems for residential use employ in-ground irrigation methods. This entails burying the sprinkler system underground. This allows you to avoid having eyesores on your lawns such as tangled pipes, irrigation valves, and sprinklers as they are all hidden from view.
Here are some variations of lawn watering systems:
1. Spray irrigation – this is the most common type of lawn sprinkler systems. As the name suggest, water is sprayed directly over the lawn with this type. Long tubes are imbedded in the lawn, and are attached to a water source. Water is then shoot out of the tubes using sprayers. Usually a center pivot is used where there are fixed points that form a large irrigation circle. Sprinklers are installed on top of the tubes and rotated throughout the landscape. Such types of sprinkler systems are good for light soil types. They can also be controlled by an electric device, making operation easier and more flexible.
2. Drip Irrigation – this type of irrigation is less common because it appears to be more complicated. Tubes with holes are buried under the turf. Holes are situated at set distances that are set specifically for the area where they will provide irrigation. The concentration of the holes can also be varied. Unlike the spray system, water is not sprayed into the air, but are sprinkled, or dripped near the plant roots, providing direct contact. Not only does this prevent people from getting went in the event that they pass through the lawn while water, drip sprinkler systems allow more precision when watering. Another great thing about drip sprinkler systems is that they use less water, saving you even more money while helping the environment. According to certain studies, drip systems use only about half the amount of water that spray systems use. Thus they are quite economical and practical.
Things to Consider When Choosing Lawn Sprinkler Systems
When choosing a sprinkler system to use for your lawn you should first check the capacity of the system to meet your landscaping needs. You might not need a complicated system for a small lawn area, but you might need something more complex for a large yard. You should also consider the water supply available as certain systems might need more water than others. Certain sprinkler systems may also be labor-intensive to install, if you plan to install them alone, you should consider the skills needed to use a particular system. The type of soil in your lawn should also be studied as some systems may be ideal to certain soil types. Lastly, you should check your budget and see if you can afford a particular type of sprinkler system.
A healthy lawn needs a good irrigation method. Using a lawn sprinkler system is the most efficient and effective way of filling this requirement for having a good lawn.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/lawn-sprinkler-systems-your-way-to-the-greenest-lawn-in-town-54075.html
About the Author:
If you want a lawn you can be proud of, follow Lee Dobbins to http://lawncare.garden-corner.com where you can get more great tips on lawn care.
An End to Sprinkler-Sitting
Tired of babysitting your lawn sprinkler? A new, simple, and easy to install water sprinkler manufactured by Watering Made Easy, Inc. is now available. A Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Station stops the never-ending cycle of placing, aiming, moving to mow and replacing a lawn sprinkler; without the high cost of an underground sprinkler system.
Within minutes a Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Station is placed in your lawn. A quick connector, which is included, allows you to snap on your garden hose. The sprinkler head pops up and your worries are over. If a Water Timer is used; the watering will stop and the SPRINKLER HEAD DISAPPEARS UNDERGROUND! EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT HOME!
Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Stations are much quicker, easier and more convenient than dragging a sprinkler around over, over and over again! They are very easy to install, permanent and cost around the price of surface sprinklers in use today.
Hold on to your hoses… The 21st Century is here and so is Watering Made Easy.
Dependable, Convenient Sprinklers
Here’s a nifty, convenient new sprinkler system particularly suitable for the home owner. From the folks at Watering Made Easy in Kingwood, Texas, lawn watering just got easier!
Their product is called a Sprinkler Station and it’s designed to replace the cumbersome sprinklers many homeowners use. The Sprinkler Station shown on their website (www.wateringmadeeasy.com) is permanently buried inches beneath the lawn turf. This design allows for easy mowing, but without the expense or mess of installing a complex underground set up.
“We brought an innovation to consumers that I’m particularly pleased with”, remarked Eric Eden, President of Watering Made Easy, Inc. “People are no longer having to drag sprinklers across their yards.”
Once the Sprinkler Station is buried, a standard garden hose is simply “clicked” into the station using a quick connector fitting. Simply “Un-click” the hose and the sprinkler withdraws underground; hidden from the lawn mower blades.
Installation is simple, just dig a hole about 10” long and 10” deep; no need to dig trenches across the lawn. Simply bury 2 or three Sprinkler Stations to cover the entire lawn. Using a connection splitter at the faucet, the homeowner can run two or more hoses to separate stations simultaneously.
Incorporating a shut off timer allows sprinklers to function while the homeowner is away or at nighttime. Likewise, incorporating a timer device is the ideal way to save water and it eliminates under or over watering.
Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Stations carry a replacement warranty for five years from date of purchase so they are guaranteed to last.
“Our company is focused on to top-notch customer service. We’ve committed ourselves to that high standard,” touted company president Eden.
Need a referral? Sprinkler Stations were tested and recommended by members of the Handyman Club of America and the National Home Gardening Club From their website, notice that these sprinklers have been featured in Business Week and on the PBS TV show, Ask This Old House.
Homeowners in freezing climates can even leave it in place over the winter. Winterizing the sprinklers is simple and takes seconds. Simply stick the tube of a trigger sprayer down into the hose connector of the Sprinkler Station and squirt out the small amount of water. Watering Made Easy offers a “winterizing kit”, including a sprayer, and 7 plugs for the hose connection that prevents seepage water from re-entering the sprinkler.
Using their sprinkler removes the tedious, repetitive task of placing and aiming the sprinkler for each use. This feature greatly reduces the time and effort put into watering your lawn. Additionally, the Sprinkler Stations save money by not needing constant replacement caused by mower or pet damage!
Please visit the Watering Made Easy website to see their lawn watering systems, now available in three models, at www.wateringmadeeasy.com.
Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Stations Popping Up All Over
“I just got tired of struggling with my lawn sprinkler…” is one reason given by Eric Eden, the president of Watering Made Easy, when asked what inspired him to develop and bring the new “Sprinkler Stations” to the marketplace. Apparently Eden is not alone; with their purchases, consumers across the U.S. are showing they want a new solution as well. Starting their 5th season, Watering Made Easy is now shipping sprinklers to retailers across the U.S. and Canada with plans to move into the European marketplace.
A straightforward concept, a Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Station is an underground sprinkler that works with a regular garden hose. Sprinkler Stations collapse level with the ground when they are not in use, out of the way of lawn mowing and other activities.
No more dragging a sprinkler into the yard and aiming and re-aiming it (while getting soaked), and then moving it to mow the grass. No more buying numerous surface sprinklers and collecting a pile of old sprinklers in the corner of your yard. No more bricks holding down your sprinkler or letting a spike bore a hole and fall over.
Place the included Quick Connector on a garden hose, turn on the water and click the hose onto the Sprinkler Station. The sprinkler head pops up and waters your lawn, aimed right every time! Unplug the hose when you are finished, and the sprinkler head falls flush with the ground. Another great feature, the quick connector on the hose stops the water while it is not plugged into the sprinkler, so there is no water spraying while walking to and from the Sprinkler Station.
“These are perfect for consumers” says Eden. “Because they are so easy to install, people can do it themselves. The value of a Sprinkler Station registers with consumers because it is permanent solution with a retail price in line with basic surface sprinklers. People love easy, effective solutions.”
Watering Made Easy offers three models of the Sprinkler Station that are designed to water various shapes and areas.
· The Original Sprinkler Station is an impact sprinkler that sprays a 30-35 foot radius, 30-300 degrees or a full circle.
· The Sprinkler Station Jr. sprays a 10-15 foot radius, 15-360 degrees.
· The Sprinkler Station Squared sprays a 9 x 18 foot, a 4 x 15 foot, or a 4 x 30 foot rectangle.
Most people who buy Sprinkler Stations are not considering an automatic in-ground irrigation system. They are tired of hassling with a surface sprinkler, but not comfortable with the cost and maintenance of an in-ground irrigation system. Some people use a Sprinkler Station to reach a new flowerbed that their underground sprinkler system misses.
Please see WateringMadeEasy.com for more information.
LAWN CARE FACT SHEET
¨ Watering should be done in the cool part of the day to avoid evaporation.
¨ When cycling your water zones consider the infiltration rate for your soil, rooting depth, monthly gross irrigation for your specific turf and region, water capacity for your soil, and precipitation rate of your sprinklers (GPM).
¨ The average lawn should receive about one inch of rainfall or watering per week.
¨ It is better to water for longer periods of time and less frequently because this encourages deeper root growth Deep root growth allows the lawn to survive under stressful conditions such as drought.
¨ Most gardening problems arise from incorrect watering.
¨ Homeowners can calibrate their sprinklers using tin cans spaced throughout the lawn to estimate how many inches of water is applied per minute.
¨ Keeping soil moist around a home’s foundation can prevent costly foundation repairs.
According to Gallup, the top five benefits of a well-maintained lawn and landscape are:
– Allergy control. Turf controls dust, in addition to pollen from plants that can cause serious health problems for some individuals.
– Pollutant absorption. Turf grasses absorb gaseous pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, converting them to oxygen.
-Particulate entrapment. Turf grasses trap an estimated 12 million tons of dust and dirt released annually into the atmosphere.
– Fire retardation. Grass around buildings helps retard the spread of fire.
-Water quality. Reducing runoff, turfgrass filters the water that helps to recharge groundwater supplies.
Source: Sprinkler Talk, PLCAA Association
DIY pop up lawn sprinkler kit
For people tired of dragging around a lawn sprinkler, we have found a simple solution that anyone can install in about half-an-hour, without trenching up your entire lawn. A Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Station is a permanent lawn sprinkler that works with a regular garden hose. Sprinkler Stations collapse level with the ground when they are not in use, out of the way of lawn mowing and other activities.
Watering Made Easy has three styles of the Sprinkler Station that are designed to water various shapes and areas.
· The Original Sprinkler Station is an impact sprinkler that sprays a 30-35 foot radius, 30-300 degrees or a full circle.
· The Sprinkler Station Jr. sprays a 10-15 foot radius, 15-360 degrees.
· The Sprinkler Station Squared sprays a 9 x 18 foot, a 4 x 15 foot, or a 4 x 30 foot rectangle.
Installing a Sprinkler Stations is simple. This DIY lawn sprinkler system comes with easy to follow, well-illustrated instructions, but here is a summary:
1. Decide where to place the Sprinkler Stations. Conveniently, each sprinkler comes with a piece of string that is the length of the throw of the sprinkler. Just hold one end of the string where you think you want the sprinkler, and stretch out the other end to see about where the water will reach. The Original Sprinkler Station sprays similar to a sprinkler on a spike, so if you have used one of those in the past, get started with that spot.
2. Dig a hole about 10” long and 10” deep for the Sprinkler Station. Use the sprinkler to decide how big and deep to make the hole. The top of the sprinkler should be flush with the top of the dirt.
3. Put the Sprinkler Station in the hole and fill the hole back up. A layer of pea-gravel is recommended for the Original Sprinkler Station and the instructions clearly show that.
4. Put the Quick Connector on the end of your hose, turn on the water, and plug the Quick Connector onto the sprinkler. The Sprinkler Stations will pop-up and begin to water. Adjust the distance and direction of the spray. The Sprinkler Station will remember where you set it.
5. Unplug the Quick Connector and the Sprinkler Station stops spraying and goes back down. Mow over the top, run or play without worrying about the Sprinkler Station.
6. Every time you plug in the Quick Connector, it will pop up and spray exactly where it was aimed with no effort required.
I love this product because there is no more dragging a sprinkler into the yard and aiming and re-aiming it (while getting soaked), and then moving it to mow the grass. No more buying numerous surface sprinklers and collecting a pile of old sprinklers in the corner of my yard. No more bricks holding down my sprinkler or letting a spike bore a hole and fall over. Best of all, it is inexpensive and easy to install.
If you have a large budget, an automatic in-ground system might be perfect for you, but the Watering Made Easy Sprinkler Stations are a great, simple solution for those of us not willing to spend thousands of dollars to water our lawn.
Please see WateringMadeEasy.com for more information.
Contact Watering Made Easy at1-877-280-4485 or by email at info@wateringmadeeasy.com.
Lawn Irrigation, Watering Restrictions and Conservation Practices
Author: Al Haneson
With watering restrictions at an all time high across the United States, many consumers are trying to strike a balance between keeping their lawns green in the summer, and conserving the precious supply. Environmental concerns stretch far past pollution alone: conservation has become a major hot button in recent years as well
These lawn watering tips will help you find that happy medium.
Basic Considerations
1) Adjust sprinklers to water only grass areas. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I see homeowners with sprinklers that are throwing more water into the street than into the turf.
2) Mow grass to a height of 2 to 3 inches. Taller grass shades the roots and soil surface and helps reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. When in doubt, raise your lawn mower wheels to the highest setting.
3) Use sprinklers that disperse large drops low to the ground vs. high and misty sprays.
4) Utilize quality water hoses with fittings that do not leak and waste water.
When to Water Your Turf
1) About one inch of water, twice per week (including rainfall) is adequate for maintaining a healthy lawn. Use a can or rain gauge to help determine the amount of water applied each time.
2) Water on a consistent basis in the summer. Keep your lawn on a schedule whenever possible.
3) A good soaking twice a week is better than watering lightly every day. Allowing the soil to dry between watering will allow the roots to grow to greater depths and help make turf more drought tolerant.
4) Water during the cool part of the day to minimize water lost to evaporation. Early morning hours prior to 9AM are the best. I tell folks to start their sprinklers when they get up for work (assuming they do not have an in-ground irrigation system), and shut them off on their way out the door. This usually means 1 solid hour has been utilized and equates to about an inch on the ground.
5) Avoid watering during midday hours when it is hot and sunny to prevent scalding the turf.
6) Watering at night is not recommended because the lawn stays wet for a long period in the night air which can bring disease and affect the health of your lawn.
When Watering Restrictions Hamper Your Irrigation
Township or city watering restrictions are sometimes imposed due to limited treatment capacity or reduced water supplies. Here are a few ideas in the event severe lawn watering restrictions are needed in your area.
1) Water less frequently, but gradually reduce the amount of water you give your lawn. This will help reduce stress and condition the turf if a complete ban on lawn watering becomes necessary.
2) Reduce the amount of foot traffic allowed on the lawn as much as possible. Let the kids play ball at the public park and not in your dried-out back lawn.
3) Allow the grass to grow longer to reduce moisture loss from the soil. You should also mulch your clippings so natural moisture is returned to the lawn.
Water conservation does not mean your lawn turns to straw, it just means you have to educate yourself and follow a few simple guidelines.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/lawn-irrigation-watering-restrictions-and-conservation-practices-471651.html
About the Author:
Al Haneson offers lawn tips about everything from Lawn Striping to Dog Urine Burning Lawns over at his blog, Life and Lawns.
Lawn Watering – One More Step To A Beautiful Lawn
Author: Martin Haworth
Anything that is green needs water, pretty much, and grass is no exception. In fact, although grasses are very resilient to drought, it is important for the health of your grass that you get your lawn watering well organized, or you will have no end of problems.
Whilst you can spend all sorts of money and time with fertilizers, hollow tine forking and all sorts of other gizmos and activities, when the grass is dry, simple water will be more than enough to keep it healthy and strong.
How To Do Lawn Watering
The challenge of getting enough water to your lawn can be quite difficult, depending on the type of grass you have, the quality of the soil and the size of area you have to cover – not forgetting, of course, the weather conditions you have been experiencing.
If you want to get all technical, you can set up collecting bins and measure just how much your sprinkler system delivers to a given area and then compare that with the grass specification you can look up.
For most of us, it will be enough to see that the grass is looking dry and then to ensure that we use our lawn watering systems accordingly.
When To Do Your Lawn Watering
Apart from the decision you make as to when your lawn needs the water, you also need to make a decision as to what time of day is the best. For many that will be decided by when you are around to do it, but with automatic watering systems available freely nowadays, that is not so much of an issue.
The best time of day to water your lawn is when it is most effective and efficient to do so. It could be inefficient to water at the hottest part of the day. Your lawn watering efforts would be least effective. At the hottest part of the day, the water will have little time to penetrate, as it will tend to evaporate off most quickly. The air itself will be hot and it will suck the cool water off your grass quite quickly, so some of your effort is wasted, as is your water.
So, it is often best to water when the air is cooler, which means the morning or evening, both of which work OK. One thing you have to be aware of is that if you do your lawn watering in the evening, the grass will stay moist for longer, but this will also help fungal growth, which is greatest at night. In the long run this can affect your lawn development.
If you can, carrying out your lawn watering in the morning is probably the best, with midday the next. Leaving evening watering as the last option if you want to avoid providing fungal infections with their best chance to thrive.
Bear in mind that with water restrictions all over the world from time to time, even in the Western world, you may not be as free to water as you might wish. Taking care to water only when necessary and when you do, when permitted, making sure that you do it as effectively and economically as you can, is doing your share for the environment too.
Lawn watering is a necessary ‘must do’ to give you the pleasure of a lovely lawn, as well as ensuring the health of your grass, for years to come too.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/lawn-watering-one-more-step-to-a-beautiful-lawn-197554.html
About the Author:
(c) 2007 Lawn Care Guidelines. All you need to know to make the right decisions to get a great looking lawn. There’s all the information you could ask for, at Martin Haworth’s website, http://www.LawnCareGuidelines.com
Why Lawn Sprinklers are Great for Irrigating Large and Medium Lawns
Author: Muna wa Wanjiru
Lawn sprinklers are used to discharge water to grass lands, foot ball grounds, Golf grounds and so on.
Single stream lawn sprinkler:
These sprinklers are ideal for medium to large grass lands. They are designed after years of research. They offer smooth operation. They are safe for kids. They have 360 degree arc that rotates in all direction. So no place will be left dry. They are also called rotators as they are continuously rotating in all the directions. They can retract when they are not in use.
Dancing flower sprinkler:
Dancing flower sprinkler provides an excellent way to water your lawn or garden. The sprinkler itself looks like an ornament. You can use it for decorative purposes also. Just connect them to the hose. It will spray water up to 100 square feet. It sprinkles water by twisting the water pressure. So gardening and maintaining lawn is a funful experience for you and your children now.
Portable sprinkler system:
Portable sprinkler is great for lawns or for watering seedlings or shrubs. You just fix them anywhere in the garden and connect a hose to it. Water will sprinkle from its 3 heads. It is safe and comfortable.
Oscillating sprinklers:
It provides lawn watering gently. It assures watering even to all areas. It is suitable for spraying water in large lawns. It is corrosion resistant and thus ensures long life. It is free from maintenance cost. It is light weight. It has built in needles for cleaning spray nozzles. It has 17 holes to spread water in wider areas.
Impulse sprinklers:
Full or part circle impulse sprinklers rotate in an arc to provide water to wide spread lawns. It supplies water through the metal nozzles. As it is rotating, no area will be left as dry patches.
Plastic sprinkler:
It is an adjustable 3 arm sprinkle with spike base. Its plastic body assures long life and flexibility. Just fix them in your garden and connect with a long hose. Its sharp edges ensure proper fixing in the soil.
Ornamental sprinkler:
Ornamental sprinkler is made up of plastic and it has spike base. It is suitable for gardening and watering lawn. It looks like a large yellow flower. This will attract the children. So make your gardening experience an entertainment with ornamental sprinkler.
Plastic oscillating sprinklers:
It has 19 holes that will spray water at height. This is great for irrigating large and medium lawns. Its plastic body assures long life. Its total weight is 2.5 kgs.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/why-lawn-sprinklers-are-great-for-irrigating-large-and-medium-lawns-308955.html
About the Author:
Muna wa Wanjiru is an Agricultural Engineer and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Irrigation for Years. For More Information on Lawn Sprinklers, Visit His Site at LAWN SPRINKLERS