Advantages of irrigation systems
Advantages of irrigation systems
2. Benefits for the garden
3. Benefits for your wallet
4. Benefits for garden owners
5. Benefits for the environment
1. Benefits for plants
An automatic watering system provides plants with the right amount of water – neither too much nor too little, but exactly what they need. When we water plants ourselves, it is often difficult to avoid overwatering or under-watering them.
Irrigation systems water the garden at times of day that are most beneficial for plants. People who have had their own garden for some time know for sure that plants do not tolerate being watered in full sun. This has disastrous consequences for the entire garden – the grass turns yellow and the sun burns the wet leaves of the plants. It is also not good to water them in the evening, when excess water has no chance to evaporate, creating favourable conditions for the development of fungal diseases in plants. Meanwhile, it is precisely then – during the day or in the evening, after work – that owners of home gardens usually have time to care for and water them. The most appropriate time for watering plants is very early in the morning – a time when most of us are asleep or rushing to get ready for work. However, a properly designed and programmed automatic irrigation system waters plants at this time, which is beneficial for their health and appearance.
2. Benefits for the garden
Thanks to the fact that the irrigation system operates while the household members are asleep, the garden can be used throughout the day.
Gardens equipped with irrigation systems look healthy, their greenery is lush, and the plants have the right conditions for growth. What is more, the irrigation system does not interfere with the aesthetics of the garden in any way. Its components remain invisible except during watering. Usually, pop-up sprinklers are installed, which appear above the surface of the lawn only during watering. Drip lines in flower beds are hidden under a layer of mulch.
If you are considering making changes to your garden, the irrigation system can be designed to take this possibility into account. Even in the event of unforeseen changes, it is usually not necessary to replace the irrigation system. It can usually be modified quite easily and adapted to the new requirements of your green space.
5. Environmental benefits
The environmental benefits of irrigation systems become obvious when we consider the water savings resulting from their installation, as described above. Irrigation systems prevent excessive and unnecessary watering, eliminate water wastage because the water goes exactly where it should, and reduce unnecessary evaporation by watering early in the morning.
3. Benefits for your wallet
Thanks to the automatic irrigation system and precise watering of plants, we can significantly reduce water costs. It is difficult to estimate exactly how much water consumption decreases compared to manual watering, as it depends on many factors. Some studies indicate a 40% decrease in water consumption, but others estimate that it is as high as 70%. However, everyone agrees that this applies to professionally designed irrigation systems. When designing a system, irrigation specialists take into account a number of different factors, from water source parameters, terrain slope, soil type and sunlight exposure to the requirements of different plant species. It is estimated that amateur irrigation systems are up to 40-50% less efficient.
An irrigation system is an investment for years to come, and although it involves a considerable expense initially, if its components are of good quality, it works virtually faultlessly and requires very little expenditure, apart from battery replacement (usually a maximum of a dozen or so pounds per season). The battery prevents the controller from being deprogrammed during power outages), winter maintenance and start-up before the new season.
4. Benefits for the garden owner
We all have less and less time, which is why we are paying more and more attention to solutions that help us save it. Properly watering the lawn with a hose takes at least several dozen minutes a day, several hours a week, several dozen hours a month, and several dozen hours a year. How many other things could we do in that time? An automatic irrigation system saves us this time, giving us more time to enjoy the beauty of our garden, spend time there with our loved ones and relax among the greenery. Properly programmed irrigation systems require no time to operate, as everything happens automatically.
We are often so tired from our daily responsibilities that the last thing we want to do is run around the lawn with a hose. A much better solution then seems to be swinging in a hammock or on a swing, or relaxing with a cup of hot coffee on the terrace. The operation of the irrigation system requires no effort on our part; such a system is virtually maintenance-free.
Thanks to the automatic system, we do not have to think about or remember to water the plants. The controller does everything for us. It will turn the system on and off at the right time, regardless of whether we are at home or away. Thanks to the rain sensor (its installation location is important, so it is a good idea to have it chosen by a specialist in irrigation systems), it will also turn off watering when our garden does not need it. We only need to think about the system twice a year – it requires maintenance, or ‘blowing through’, before winter, and it needs to be restarted before the start of the next season.
