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Design Trends

Water conservation in the landscape is a major concern today and the irrigation equipment manufacturers are addressing this issue with many new products designed to water the landscape more efficiently. Irrigation system designers and installers also recognize the need to conserve water and are using new products and techniques to help maintain a healthy landscape with less water. Many landscape designers are encouraging the use of native plants and other species that require less water to produce a beautiful landscape. Homeowners and property managers are all doing their part to retrofit their irrigation systems to use less water and to maintain their irrigations systems in peak operating condition so that water is not wasted due to leaks and overspray.

While 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water only 3% of that water is fresh. More than three quarters of the fresh water is locked up in polar ice caps and glaciers leaving less than 1% of the water on this planet available for use. As demand for this precious resource increases we all need to do our part to make sure that every drop counts.

How Much Should I Water?

An average of ½ to ¾ of an inch of water per application is enough to replenish the moisture for turf on most Florida soils. The soil should be thoroughly saturated then allowed to dry out between watering to encourage healthy deep rooting. Established plantings require less water than lawns and attention should be paid to the need for more water in sunny areas of the landscape than in cool shady areas.

A simple audit can be performed to measure the application rate and uniformity of the coverage on an irrigation system. Start by placing 6-20 (the more the better) identical straight sided containers, such as empty tuna fish cans, evenly throughout one irrigation zone. Turn that zone on and allow it to run for 10-15 minutes, or until there is a measurable amount of water in each container. Note the run time, shut off the system and record the amount of water in each container. Average the amount of water collected in each can then calculate how long the system needs to run in order to apply ½ to ¾ of an inch of water to that zone. Repeat this process for each zone.