Trulawn HD Healthy Lawn irrigation Testing/ Techniques
A Trulawn HD Healthy Lawn needs a minimum of 1 inch of water weekly during the summer months or when the temp is over 80 degrees.
How do i know if my yard is getting an inch of water a week?
we have a simple technique to test your system
- get a dog/cat food or tuna can
- place can in yard empty
- turn on the zone at which can is located and time how long it takes to fill it up (typically can depth is 1 inch)
- you then split that time in half to water 2 times a week and you now know how long you need to run that zone
- Repeat for all zones (sprinkler head types greatly impact run times)
A regular deep watering, 2 days a week, is better than a light sprinkling on the lawn every 1-2 days, and will encourage stronger, healthier roots. Over-watering results in waste (higher water bills) and promotes turf problems which can become costly to repair.
If you are operating each zone of your sprinkler system for 10-20 min run times every 1-2 days - STOP!
What time is the best time to water?
Here at Trulawn HD we recommend watering between 2am to 7AM
Why do you not want to water in the afternoon or evening?
Midday watering during hot, dry weather will waste water, since much of the water evaporates before being absorbed into the soil. Watering from 4pm to midnight promotes the spread of diseases, as you are applying water to a lawn that is still too hot from the day's heat but is most likely become shaded and will not dry up in a timely manner.
Why is my yard not growing or turning brown?
The most common reason is summer dormancy, its the plants way to survive stressful conditions. But my lawn appears to be dead or dying only in certain areas of my yard (this could be a sign of improper watering techniques or malfunctioning sprinkler heads)
Why is my water bill so dang high?
One of the more common mistakes with an irrigation system is operating it during periods of the year when rainfall is regularly occurring (at least once a week). The sprinkler system is there to water the lawn and landscape when rainfall is not regularly occurring, typically from as early as April to as late as the end of September. All other months of the year do not usually require you to operate the irrigation system hardly at all. Smart irrigation systems from Hunter, Rain Bird, Rachio, and Orbit (typically found in today's homes with irrigation systems) should have a functioning rain/freeze sensor so you don't have to adjust your watering schedule.
When is the last time you checked the battery or tested your system?
Wait! There is a battery?
Yes most of today's sprinkler controllers utilize a wireless rain/freeze sensor to save you money and protect your irrigation pipes from freezing temperatures.
Do you have a busted head or cracked pipe?
- 1 cracked or busted head running on a 15 min zone can waste 300 gallons or more of water
- one bad head also can lead to dead/dry spots in yard
