TIP SHEET
Contact: William Ostedt/Stefan Pollack
The Pollack PR Marketing Group
(310) 556-4443
wostedt@ppmgcorp.com
spollack@ppmgcorp.com
THE INTELLIGENT USE OF WATER™
Tips From Rain Bird that Will Keep Your Lawn,
Garden and Wallet Full of Green
Did you ever think that you could be saving water by using
an irrigation system? If your irrigation system is correctly
designed, installed and maintained, it will help reduce the
amount of water you use and still keep your lawn and
landscape looking healthy. A few good sense tips from the
leader in irrigation…
DON’T DROWN: Avoid over-watering lawns and gardens. Much
of the water is never absorbed anyway. Some
water is lost to runoff by being applied too
rapidly, and some water evaporates from
exposed, un-mulched soil. But the greatest
waste of water comes from applying too much,
too often. Instead of watering for 20 minutes
straight, water four times for 5 minutes each,
with a 15-minute break between each session.
This will allow water to soak in, while
minimizing runoff.
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WATCH THE CLOCK: Watering in the evening isn't a good idea
because leaf surfaces can remain wet
overnight --- an open invitation for fungal
diseases. Midday watering is better for plants,
but bad for your water bill because of water
loss through evaporation. Try to water
between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., when the sun is
low, winds are calm and temperatures are cool.
Under these conditions, leaf surfaces have a
chance to dry out during the day, reducing the
chance of fungal diseases and conserving
water due to reduced evaporation. Make sure
to use low angle nozzles in areas where wind
is a factor.
PLAY THE ZONE: The goal of any irrigation system is to give
plants a sufficient amount of water without
wasting. Divide your yard and landscaping into
separate irrigation zones so grass can be
watered separately and more frequently than
groundcovers, shrubs and trees. Both sprinkler
and drip irrigation can be incorporated to
achieve efficient use of water.
RAISE THE BLADE: Trim grass at a higher mower setting to shade
roots from sunlight and encourage deeper
roots.
WATER ONLY THINGS
THAT GROW: If you have an underground sprinkler system,
make sure the sprinkler heads are adjusted
properly to avoid watering sidewalks and
driveways. Also, a properly adjusted sprinkler
head should spray large droplets of water
instead of a fog of fine mist, which is more
susceptible to evaporation and wind drift.
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CONSIDER DRIPPING: When it comes to watering individual trees,
flowerbeds, potted containers, or other nongrassy
areas, consider direct application of
water to roots using low volume “drip” emitters.
By applying water slowly to soil, drip irrigation
is by far the most efficient way to water. The
water flows under low pressure through
emitters, bubblers or spray heads placed at
each plant. Water applied by drip irrigation has
little chance of waste through evaporation or
runoff, and will prevent unwanted weeds from
growing.
GET YOUR HEADS
CHECKED: Since lawns and gardens should be watered in
the early morning hours, a problem may not be
discovered until it is too late. Once a month,
turn on your irrigation system, throw on your
bathing suit and make sure everything is
working properly. A clogged head or a torn line
can wreak havoc on your landscape and water
bill.
YOU CAN NEVER
HAVE TOO MULCH: Mulch, a layer of non-living material covering
the soil surface around plants, conserves water
by significantly reducing moisture evaporation
from the soil. Mulch also reduces weed
populations, prevents soil compaction and
keeps soil temperatures more moderate.
Mulches can be organic materials such as pine
bark, compost or woodchips; or inorganic
materials, such as lava rock, limestone or
permeable plastic, but not sheet plastic
because soil needs to breathe.
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BE RAIN SMART: Adjust your irrigation system as the seasons
and weather change. Or better yet, install a
shut-off device that automatically detects rain.
They are inexpensive and enable you to take
advantage of nature’s precious gift without
paying for it.
For more watering tips, or information on the product categories mentioned, visit
www.rainbird.com, or contact your local Rain Bird retailer.
