Many people have the mistaken belief that it’s impossible to engage in water conservation in Wichita, KS and still have a sprinkler system. In reality, good water management practices can allow you to have a lush lawn or garden without being wasteful. Here are a few tips for reducing the water consumption of a sprinkler system from Rain Link, Inc. or another supplier:
Don’t water during the heat of day. Doing so will cause most of the water to evaporate, so time your sprinkler’s operation for just before dawn. Watering before dawn will give the water a chance to soak into the ground before the sun comes out. Note that you shouldn’t water from after dusk until about 4AM, though, because doing so will give harmful fungi a chance to grow. Use a timer so that you don’t have to get up at an inconvenient hour to set the sprinklers going at the right time.
Use a timer to start and stop your sprinklers. This ensures that your sprinklers won’t run too long if you get involved in something else and forget to turn them off. It’s also more convenient.
Have a rain-sensitive controller installed. With one of these, you won’t have to worry about your sprinklers running during a rainstorm. Operation during the rain is common with systems that don’t have rain sensors.
Grow plants that don’t need an abundance of water. Reducing the demand is a key part of water conservation in Wichita, KS. This doesn’t mean that you have to resort to filling your lawn with cacti and rocks. Some types of grass are notoriously water-hungry, and the same goes for certain ornamental bushes and flowers. Plant varieties that need less water so you don’t have to run your sprinkler as often.
Don’t water every day, but when you do water, water deeply. This encourages roots to grow downwards so they get away from the layer of ground that is most prone to drying out on a hot day. Be careful when changing from a daily watering schedule to one that is less frequent, though. It will take a while for those roots to grow, so be prepared to wean your plants off of the original schedule rather than changing it abruptly.