Just like the seasons have an effect on us mere mortals, so too, the change in climate affects the environment around us – specifically the plant life in our lawns and gardens at home.
We adjust the temperature controls in our homes and cars when the seasons change, not just because it suits us, but because we value efficiency and value for money.
Irrigation controllers – whether they are the common 240V wall mounted unit or a simple battery timer – should be adjusted for various climatic changes. This makes sense because most of Australia has four seasons.
So, what needs adjusting? The run time of each zone, the frequency of the irrigation and the time of day that the irrigation comes on, needs to be adjusted according to the climate, not just the temperature.
It is common knowledge that turf doesn’t grow but rather stays dormant in the cooler months of winter because there are less nutrients in the ground and much less sunlight to provide warmth and ideal growing conditions. Therefore, keeping the same controller times for your irrigation the same all year round would clearly be a waste of water and electricity and could contribute to plant disease in your lawns and gardens.
What are some simple steps? Firstly, get to know your controller! If you are unsure of how it works, find out the make and model and ask your local friendly irrigation shop. It would be beneficial to have a printed copy of the owners’ manual (available online) for instructions. Secondly, be aware of any major changes in the climate and then get ready to spend some time making the necessary controller adjustments.
Let’s use an example of 1 lawn zone. The irrigation controller is set to a summer season where the lawn sprinklers are set to come on at 6am, 5 times per week for a duration of 20 minutes. Bear in mind that these settings will vary depending on the type of sprinklers, turf, soil and climate.
For the above example, a winter season adjustment would require the lawn sprinklers to be set to come on before sunrise (to avoid freeze burn), 2-3 times per week for a duration of 5-10 minutes. A 50% reduction is generally ideal.
Water consumption with these adjustments can now be reduced by approximately 60-70% during the cold winter months.
Some controllers have a built-in seasonal adjustment which means it will reduce the run-times of the zone by pre-set percentage increments. Most controllers, however, will need to be adjusted manually, as shown in the example above.
Whichever way you choose to adjust your irrigation controller or tap timer, you stand the best chance of watering your lawns and gardens efficiently. Making the most of irrigation technology will save you time and money – all year round.
Vince is Managing Director of Hills Irrigation and is supported by Lisa in an administrative capacity. Andrew, Isaac and Megan look after the day to day needs of both online and shop customers. As Project Manager, Vince is also responsible for installation projects along with his team. It is his responsibility to work closely with clients to ensure that scope of work is understood and followed.
