Water conservation in gardening and landscaping is crucial, and Smart Irrigation Month is dedicated to promoting efficient practices.

By harnessing the power of technology, you can optimize your sprinkler system to minimize water waste. For example, drip irrigation is an effective and water-saving tool because it delivers water directly to plant roots and reduces evaporation.

By understanding the optimal sprinkler time and utilizing smart technologies, you can conserve water while keeping your lawn and landscape vibrant.

What Is Smart Irrigation?

Professionals in the green industry, including irrigation contractors, emphasize water conservation in July, which is Smart Irrigation Month. The Irrigation Association encourages homeowners to follow these six tips throughout July and integrate them as part of their lifestyle:

1. Reduce the rate of water flowing by controlling water pressure.
2. Embrace technology with a smart controller connected to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and rain sensors.
3. Set up your sprinkler heads and nozzles to apply water evenly. Check your sprinkler heads to ensure they send water to your irrigation zones, not your driveway or sidewalk.
4. Work with a certified irrigation contractor with the latest knowledge and skills to assemble a smart irrigation system.
5. Incorporate drip irrigation and tree bubblers in your flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and other landscapes. Drip irrigation provides low-pressure and low-volume watering to your plants’ root system.
6. Look for water rebates in your area. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends contacting your water provider directly for water rebates in your area.

Essential Water Sprinkler Features and Benefits

All sprinkler systems have different parts that keep your lawn and landscape well-irrigated without wasting water. The essential features of a sprinkler system include moisture-based sensors and controllers, drip irrigation and tree bubblers, and other parts.

Here are five water sprinkler features and benefits explained to intelligently pick the correct parts for your lawn’s irrigation system.

1.  Moisture-based sensors and controllers help you conserve water: You want the water from a sprinkler system to penetrate 4” to 6” into the soil. Using the cycle-and-soak method, you set your timer to go off every 15 minutes, allowing the water to percolate into the ground. Also, moisture-based sensors stop your irrigation system when it senses 4” to 6” of water in the soil.

 2.  How drip irrigation provides the right amount of water at the right time: Drip irrigation can be used in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and container plants. It delivers large water droplets directly to the plant’s roots so water is not wasted through evaporation or wind.
 
Also, you can place drip irrigation along slopes to ensure turfgrass gets the water it needs without running off the slope or causing overspray like traditional sprinkler heads.
 
You’re in control of your dripline irrigation when you hook it up to a Bluetooth controller, which allows you to set a schedule for daily watering.
 
3.  Sprinkler systems help you conserve water: There are many ways to use your outdoor lawn sprinklers to conserve water. Drip irrigation and tree bubblers are perfect for water conservation for potted plants, gardens, flowerbeds, trees, and ground covers.
 
For your lawn water sprinklers, you can do the following to save even more water:

• Add a moisture sensor and a rain shut-off switch to your Bluetooth controller.
• Check sprinkler heads and valves monthly to ensure leaks and spray heads are not sending water to hardscapes rather than your lawn.
• Inspect spray heads and nozzles so that they provide adequate coverage. Sprinkler heads must reach the next sprinkler for full coverage.
• Fix sprinkler heads so there are no turfgrass areas where the water is not reaching.
• Reduce water pressure (by adding a pressure regulator) to keep water from over spraying and misting.

 
4.  Rain sensors keep your lawn well irrigated without wasting water: Rain sensors stop your water sprinklers when it starts to rain. These rain sensors or rain/freeze sensors keep your irrigation system from wasting water.
 
5.  The benefits of drip irrigation and tree bubblers: Drip irrigation and bubblers are designed to deliver water to the plant’s roots. There’s no overspray and virtually no water evaporation. Drip irrigation does best in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and container gardens.
 
Bubblers do their best work with trees, shrubs, and ground covers by the water bubbling over and flooding the ground surface. Pressure compensation ensures consistent flow rates over low-pressure areas.

Best Practices for Water Conservation

There are other cultural practices that you can put into place on your property to save water and keep your landscaped areas looking their best. Here are three best practices for water conservation while having a beautiful property:

1.  Understanding plants’ water needs – If you’re a DIY’er, you must educate yourself on plants’ watering needs. Trees and large shrubs have different watering needs than a lawn. Learn about the different plants that grow on your property. And understand that plant health and water conservation begin in the soil. You want your soil to absorb water and hold onto it. Plus, you want healthy ground to provide the necessary nutrients for plants to thrive no matter how hot and dry it gets in the summer. You’ll only know what’s missing in your soil when you complete a soil test, which will tell you what nutrients are missing and how you can regulate the soil’s pH so plants can uptake the nutrients found in the ground.
2.  Establishing a watering schedule—Remember that a daily sprinkle doesn’t benefit your lawn or landscapes. Deep, infrequent watering at 15-minute soak-and-cycle times help the water penetrate 4” to 6” into the soil. 
3.  Techniques for deep root watering—You can use soaker hoses, drip irrigation, tree bubblers, and a sprinkler system to water your lawn and gardens for deep root watering. 
You get more bang for your buck, though, with inground water sprinklers, drip irrigation, and bubblers.
 
Why?
 
Because you can control how long they run. These automated watering systems are designed for deep root watering that conserves water.
 
If you buy an above-ground sprinkler, you must go out every 15 to 30 minutes to change the sprinkler’s direction. While a significant investment upfront, in-ground sprinkler systems are more efficient at deep-root watering while saving you time and money on water bills in the long run.

How K-Rain Irrigation Solutions Supports You with Water Conservation

At K-Rain, our irrigation products and solutions save more time and water because we never stop finding new ways to innovate our sprinkler system products. You can save water, money, and time with K-Rain Irrigation Solutions.

Be water smart during Smart Irrigation Month and invest in dripline, bubblers, and sprinkler parts at our user-friendly online store. Enjoy superior performance and durability with just a few clicks.

Alternatively, locate K-Rain products at reputable retailers such as The Home Depot and Lowe's for a hassle-free shopping experience.

For assistance with your K-Rain irrigation system, contact our dedicated customer service team at 800-735-7246 or fill out our form.

Sources:
EPA.gov, Sprinkler Spruce-Up.
Ibid, Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers.
Irrigation.org, Efficient Irrigation infographic (pdf).
Ibid, Irrigation Association Promotes the Value of Efficient Irrigation During July’s Smart Irrigation Month.
Ibid. Smart Irrigation Month: Social Media Resources.