Last month may have been Smart Irrigation Month, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't always be smart about preserving water and saving money! 

Start Smart

Hiring a certified irrigation professional and insisting on high-quality components is the smart way to make sure your system will operate at peak efficiency for years to come. Always check references and confirm your contractor is properly insured.

Smart Planning and Planting

• Work with a certified irrigation contractor who has experience in your local area.
• Consider local climate conditions, as well as your lot's exact features. Choose appropriate plant species that have lower watering requirements.
• Group plants with similar water needs close together and separate lawn areas irrigation zones from planting beds.
• Plan your irrigation zones carefully. Be sure that your system will have enough capacity, now and in the future. The more irrigation zones you plan, the more you can tailor watering even if you modify landscaping.

Smart Scheduling and Watering

• Schedule each individual zone in your irrigation system to account for sun, shade and wind exposure. 
• Consider soil type, which affects the how quickly water can be applied and absorbed without runoff. 
• Make sure you're not sending water down the drain. Set sprinklers to water plants, not your driveway, sidewalk, patio or buildings. 
• Water at the right time of day. Watering when the sun is low, winds are calm and temperatures are cooler minimizes evaporation by as much as 30 percent. The best time to water is during early morning hours.

Smart Maintenance 

• Check that sprinkler heads are high enough to clear plants that may have grown taller since the system was installed.
• Adjust spray patterns and positions to make sure they aren't watering “hardscapes” like sidewalks and buildings.
• Evaluate pressure and adjust as needed so sprinklers work optimally to distribute the water.

Technology is advancing in all facets of our lives; our cars, electronic devices, inside our homes and now, outside our homes in the form of irrigation sensors. Hunter Industries helps “take the storm head on” by providing sensors, including wireless options, to turn your controller into a “smart” controller, making sure your system performs at the most optimal times. 

Good:  Rain Sensor

These rain-sensing devices collect a specific amount of moisture before activating a switch to shut off the system altogether. Only once the sensor dries out does your irrigation controller start to water again. These simple rain sensors are a good option for many residences and business, preventing watering during rainy weather.

Better:  Soil Sensor

Soil sensors are buried into the ground where they measure moisture. This is a better option when considering sensors since the moisture measurement is being taken where it matters most, in the plant root zone.

Best:  Hunter Solar Sync ET Sensor

We rank this sensor best due to its affordability, ease of installation, rain and freeze sensor shutdown abilities and Evapotranspiration (ET) properties. Evapotranspiration, a word you can impress your kids with, is the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants. The Solar Sync uses historical ET data, gathers current data and automatically adjusts your programmed run times daily based on this information.

Transforming your controller to a “smart” controller will conserve water and keep your lawn and landscape properly irrigated giving you peace of mind and money savings!

Save the Sprinklers! 

Winter is coming and Jack Frost is already starting to warn us early in the morning. Prepping for the cold weather includes a variety of tasks but one people often forget about is winterizing their irrigation system. 

As the temperatures drop, your backflow device becomes the most vulnerable. Backflow devices are most often located aboveground and one cold morning could cause it to break, leading to a costly repair.   As frost levels sink deeper and deeper into the soil they will eventually reach your irrigation system, typically located 8-12 inches below the ground.  

Even if you have drained your backflow device, some water will remain in the system and can freeze, causing pipes and heads to crack. The best way to avoid this is to use a method known as the “compressed air blow out method.” By using high volume compressed air, any remnants of water will be evacuated, protecting your irrigation system throughout the winter months. 

Irrigation systems are important for Michigan landscapes and are expensive to replace should something go wrong.  Your irrigation system may be one of the only things you purchase and immediately bury so it should be well taken care of and D. A. Alexander & Company, Inc. is here to help!

D. A. Alexander & Company, Inc. can help keep your landscape beautiful year-round, including protection during the harsh cold months so it can return to its lush, green state as the snow melts away. 

Call 734-427-0030 now to schedule your winterization service.