We all know lawns need watering. It’s how we water them that makes all the difference. The Turf Farm knows all there is to know about what lawns need. What should we be doing with our irrigation systems? – Water Audit Spring is a great time to check your watering system is working well, ready for the hot summer heat. Uneven watering is will show up in dry patches, uneven lawns while other areas are long and lush You will waste water trying to keep a good lawn. What’s a water audit? A water audit is simply checking your sprinklers, watering patterns are even and uniform. Making sure your watering system is working its best. Things we are looking for? Check pop ups are working and are throwing water in the right direction. Check for even watering over whole lawn. What you’ll need: • Empty containers • Pitch fork/ garden spade • Rain gauge • Soil moisture gauge If you are overhead watering, or using pop up sprinklers, place empty containers across your lawn in an even pattern.Turn your watering system on for half an hour. Once half an hour is up, measure the amount of water each received by pouring it into a rain gauge. Record each measurement If they are all matching then your watering system is up to scratch. If not, go back to the under-performing areas and check / fix the broken parts. What are the benefits of a water audit? Ensuring that your lawn is receiving the even amount of water over a lawn area is severely important to its health. As the saying goes ‘a preventative is better than the cure’. In this case, checking your watering system will prevent the disaster of finding unexplained patches in your lawn that have gone brown, or discoloured. This can be very expensive in water costs and lawn if this problem is not tackled and resolved. What about watering with garden sprinklers? – Making sure they cover area – Move about so they water evenly – Use a tap timer – Always water before 10am and after 5pm A planned popup sprinkler system will always be the most efficient way to water your lawns. Saving time and money on water. However, you may choose to use a garden sprinkler. Using a garden sprinklers is always going to be very hard to get a constant even coverage. Always use a tap time to regulate watering times If you are looking for a sprinkler that can save up to 50% of your current water use and was the first garden sprinkler to receive the prestigious Smart Approved Watermark check out the aptly named Lo-Flo Sprinkler. It’s a little beauty. If you want more lawn information and advice talk to the people who grow and know lawns. Head to The Turf Farm website. PLANT SELECTOR WATCH THE CLIP
