New Homeowners Guide To Irrigation

The warmer summer months are the most popular time of year to move in Canada, and that's understandable. Moving couches and appliances in frigid and snowy January is not fun. Whether this is your first home or not, most homeowners arrive with plans on what they'll do to make the space their own. Don't let those lawn and garden ideas get pushed aside when the weather is ideal.

Start With A Plan

Take time to relocate or move the gardens and plants you want somewhere else. You might want to bring in a landscape design professional to help. While you are in this planning stage, take a moment to think about irrigation. How will you keep your lawn watered? How will you keep the vegetable garden moist or the flowers blooming all summer? Would you prefer an inground sprinkler system that you can program and not have to think about again?

Soil Type

Some new homeowners skip over this step. Not all soils require the same amount of water. Ideally, you'll want to water infrequently and deeply to encourage strong root growth. Sandy soils dry out quickly where loamy or clay-based soils hold moisture longer. Part of your overall landscaping plan may be to amend the soil to drain or retain moisture more effectively.

Inground sprinkler systems

are an efficient way to water your lawn without wasting water. Added features include timers and rain gauges. Some systems will include water sensors to monitor how much moisture the soil has received and retained, and when to water again. Some systems allow you to create zones where a lower portion of the yard that stays wet longer won't be irrigated as often as the part of the lawn that gets full sun all day.

Rain gauges

are a great investment to help you know how much rain your lawn has received in a week so you know how much to supplement. These are also handy tools to measure how much water you've applied when watering. Ideally, you want to deliver one inch of water a week.

Rain Barrels

are a great idea if you want to capture rain water for irrigation. When shopping for a rain barrel, choose a round one as corners become weak spots in a short amount of time. Make sure you elevate the rain barrel on a flat platform because you'll need gravity to help the water flow through a hose without a pump unless you plan to water by hand. And add a mesh screen on the top to keep animals and pets from falling in and strain out the leaves so your spigot doesn't become blocked.

Sprinklers

come in a variety of options and price points. Oscillating fan-type sprinklers are great if you have a large lawn or garden with square edges. For smaller lawns, choose a sprinkler that sprays a consistent square pattern so nothing is missed or overwatered. Rotary sprinklers have a spinning feature that are best for lawns with round edges because water is distributed in a circular pattern. Pulsating sprinklers are equipped with spikes so you can move them around as needed, and are able to spray in a 360degree pattern and allow you to adjust the angle of the spray.

Create the lawn you'll love to sink your toes into and a garden that blooms all season long with expert help from the lawn care and irrigation professionals at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa. Contact us today for your complimentary quote. Whether you're looking for help with your lawn, or want to install an irrigation system, we would love to chat with you!