You finally bought a place to call your own. Your castle, your little oasis in the storm we call life. As you approach your palace, your foot taps against something seemingly buried in the yard, and you almost lose your footing. A sneaky little intruder seems to be hiding in the greenery. Upon closer inspection, you see something metallic jutting out of the ground, tucked in between the blades of grass. Odd. Then you realize there is a good reason your lawn is looking so fabulous in the scorching sun. With your castle, you have acquired a piece of land. As its owner, it is now up to you to maintain it. Before you get cold, or rather, wet feet, take a gander at the article below. These are our sprinkler tips for new homeowners to help keep that yard looking pristine.
This May Be Your Castle, But Do You Really Need a Moat?
So, you’ve moved in, gotten to know the neighbors, and have figured out that those metal protrusions in your yard are sprinkler heads. Pleased as punch that your new place has a fancy irrigation system to go along with it, you may think that you’ve got it made. You take a stroll to inspect your new kingdom and notice some irregularities. Parts of the lawn look kind of brown, while other areas seem to be building their own personal swimming pools. These are clear red flags. Seems like some of the equipment may be faulty. It could be the usual wear tear; possibly it was installed incorrectly, or, maybe, someone accidentally kicked a sprinkler, and now it’s not working properly. We’ll never know. Whatever the case, below is a quick checklist you can go through to see if everything is in working order.
Sprinkler Tips for New Homeowners 101- Is Everything in Working Order?
- Sprinkler heads- We’ve mentioned them so many times, it seems like a good starting point. There are many dos and don’ts when it comes to sprinkler maintenance that you should pay attention to. Still, the most obvious thing to check is if they are broken. However, it would be best if you didn’t stop there. Next, check they are not tilted if you want a uniform distribution of the water. Finally, make sure they are not clogged. Debris and dirty water supplies are the main culprits when it comes to clogging.
- Flushing meadows- Yes, as a huge tennis fan, I wanted to sneak in a tennis reference at all costs. You may not have a meadow, but you do have a lawn, and flushing is essential. If you flush the system, you can get rid of any debris/dirt that’s trapped. Installing screens on the sprinkler heads (again, those sprinkler heads, everything seems to revolve around them) can also be quite beneficial.
- Watering tarmac- Ensure that water is not spraying anything it shouldn’t be, such as buildings and sidewalks.
Under Pressure
Your irrigation system has a tough job to do. Just like with regular plumbing, you want to take care of your pipes and make sure that they stay in good shape. To ensure it performs its job correctly and doesn’t break down, inspect the water pressure. If it is too low, you get poor coverage. If it is too high, it can lead to flooding and repair costs, as it wears out the system. Pressure-reducing valves and pressure regulators can save you from a potential headache.
The What and the When
The aim is to provide your lawn with about an inch of water weekly. Place a container near the sprinklers. At the end of the watering session, check the amount of water in the container. If it is half an inch, then you need to water twice a week. Still, the question remains when should this be done? Remember the scorching sun we talked about? Yeah, it can lead to evaporation. You should be aiming to water somewhere between 4 A.M. and 8 A.M. If you adhere to these tips, you will avoid fungus and other diseases while promoting deep root growth.
We Cannot Talk About Sprinkler Tips for New Homeowners Without Mentioning Technology
As technology continues to develop at a phenomenal rate, it pays to maintain pace with it. Upgrading to the latest systems can make life much easier and, ultimately, cheaper. Cheaper, you say? Indeed, a lot of these upgrades are water-efficient. You’d be amazed at the amount of water required to maintain a healthy-looking front yard. With technology on your side, you can get the best of both worlds. New systems can utilize soil moisture sensors, make necessary alterations based on how often it has been raining, factor in the current season, and other variations. Yes, you need to optimize the programming, but once it is done, you’re all set. Of course, you have to make minor changes and check in once in a while, but it’s not as complicated as it once was where all you had was a hose and, hopefully, a full reservoir of patience.
One With Nature
A new trend has been emerging. People have become more interested in the suburbs, as of late. The recent pandemic has proven that a lot of jobs can be done from home, and certain priorities have changed. The suburbs means more greenery and usually bigger lawns, making the above tips even more helpful! Cities such as New York are amazing, but they come with certain drawbacks. They have to be; otherwise, why would so many people move from NYC to the suburbs. The suburbs can offer a more peaceful lifestyle, but certain things need to be considered when leaving the city. If you opt to switch to a suburban lifestyle, be sure to know what to expect. We’ve already got you covered when it comes to garden maintenance; the rest is up to you!
All Systems Go
With everything fully calibrated, programmed, and fixed, you can turn on your sprinklers and smile. You’ll see it was worth the effort. Still, if you feel like it’s a bit overwhelming, you can always contact the experts to give you a helping hand. At the end of the day, you’ll finally have a little slice of land to call your own – your own, personal haven. Just follow our sprinkler tips for new homeowners, and you’ll never have to worry about the grass being greener on the other side.
