Do you water your lawn and landscape frequently but still seem to have unhealthy plants? Most homeowners do not know that plants require a specific amount of water for optimal growth. Even if you do your research on proper amounts of water, it can be difficult and time-consuming to keep up with a structured watering schedule.
The solution for your lawn may be installing an irrigation system. Contacting the professionals at Rivers Lawn and Landscape about irrigation could transform your lawn. Read more to find out why.
Is my lawn getting the right amount of water?
Many homeowners water their lawns and plants regularly, but they aren’t sure if their efforts are effective. Here are some tell-tale signs that your lawn and plants are healthy:
3 Signs of a Healthy Lawn
Look for the following signs in your lawn to determine if it is getting enough water.
1. Your grass is a medium to dark green color.
If your grass is a medium to dark green color, this is perfect. However, if your grass is a brown or tan color, it may not be getting enough water. Go ahead and inspect your grass to decide if it is the right color.
2. Color is consistent across your lawn without patches.
The color of your grass may be medium to dark green in some areas, but brown in others. What does this mean? One explanation for patches of different colored grass could be inadequate watering.
3. Blades of grass stand back up after being walked on.
If your grass springs or “bounces” back up after being walked on, it is likely getting enough water. However, if it lays flat, your grass may be lacking moisture.
Learn more signs of a healthy lawn here.
3 Signs of Healthy Plants
Leaves are green, especially around the tips.
It is a good sign if your plants’ leaves are green all the way to the tips. If the leaves are brown or have crisp tips, it may be time to re-think your irrigation regimen.
The plant continues to grow.
Every homeowner wants their plants to grow and thrive. But, many people find themselves frustrated when their plants simply won’t grow. Irrigation might just be the solution for you.
The plant remains upright and does not droop.
Just like your grass, if your plants spring back upright easily, they are probably hydrated. But if your plants droop, this is not a good sign.
If your lawn and plants do not exhibit these positive traits, they likely do not get enough water. If this is the case, you should look into irrigation to maintain your plants’ water supply. Even if your plants and lawn are healthy, there are numerous benefits to installing an irrigation system that you will learn about soon.
My plants and grass are healthy. Does this mean I don’t need an irrigation system?
If your plants and grass are already showing the signs of health, you probably feel very accomplished. It can be hard to maintain the perfect amount of water for your lawn and landscape, so this is definitely a reason to celebrate. However, it is likely that finding these perfect amounts of water took a lot of time, effort, and experimentation.
If you want to take the guess work out of watering your lawn and landscape, irrigation can make things a lot simpler and easier for you. Think of all the time you spend watering your plants and grass. Now, imagine that watering happening automatically, with no effort from you. This is the largest benefit of irrigation: the convenience.
Should I invest in an irrigation system?
It is no secret that all plants require water for survival. However, many homeowners are unsure how to calculate just how much water their plants and grass need. When you have various plants, shrubs, trees, and grass in your yard, watering schedules can get confusing and stressful. This can lead to overwatering certain plants and under-watering others.
Plants must receive a balanced equilibrium of water to survive. If you water your plants too little, they cannot carry out the process of photosynthesis (making their own food), and they will dry, wither, and die. You may think to yourself, “I’m afraid of under-watering my plants, so I will just water them every day to be safe!” This practice can be just as dangerous as under-watering.
Watering your plants too often can “drown” them and prevent their roots from receiving oxygen. Therefore, you must maintain the perfect balance of water to promote the optimal growth of your plants. Click here to read more about this equilibrium.
Irrigation systems are designed to perfectly maintain the equilibrium of water for your lawn and landscape, and this scheduled and calculated watering can lead to the following 12 benefits for your plants:
More even watering
More fruitful plants
Less plant death
Less plant disease
Better looking lawn and landscape
More curb appeal
Increased home value
Lower water bill
Less maintenance
Convenience for travelers
Lower landscaping budget
Better for the environment
To find out more about these benefits, continue reading.
Top 12 Benefits of Irrigation Systems
1. More Even Watering
No one wants a lawn that looks beautiful, green, and healthy in some areas but brown, dead, and dry in others. Unfortunately, patchy lawns are a common issue for homeowners, and it could be due to inadequate watering. Even after weekly watering, some homeowners’ grass cannot seem to survive. This could be a result of uneven watering.
Manually watering with a water hose is often a frustrating, time-consuming guessing game, and a dying lawn only increases this frustration. However, irrigation can solve your problems by ensuring your grass gets an even water supply throughout your whole lawn. This will keep it looking green and beautiful.
2. More Fruitful Plants
All living things require hydration. Although every plant can survive with varying amounts of water, there is a calculated optimal amount of water to promote the most fruitful growth. When plants receive the perfect amount of water at this equilibrium, they are in the best environment for survival.
Whether you are looking to irrigate your vegetable garden, your grass, or your flowers, irrigation will allow your plants to grow at their maximum potential. Read this article from Clemson University to learn more about what amounts of water will promote the best plant growth.
3. Less Plant Death
Almost every homeowner has dealt with plant death. You go out in the spring and buy the perfect plants for your lawn, and a few weeks later, you find them browned, withered, and dying. This can be frustrating, especially when you have spent time and money maintaining the plant.
However, with proper irrigation, you are likely to experience less plant death due to your plants receiving adequate hydration.
4. Less Plant Disease
According to the experts at Michigan State University, there are three requirements for disease development in plants: a pathogen’s presence (a diseased particle such as bacteria, fungi, etc.), a susceptible host (the plant), and the optimal environment for disease growth.
Wet leaves are one of the most common places for disease development in plants. When watering plants by hand, water tends to sit on leaves for long periods of time, and this water practically creates an incubator for diseases to live on your plants. Installing an irrigation system can alleviate this issue and cut down on plant disease, leading to less plant death and less plant replacement.
5. Better Looking Lawn and Landscape
We’ve already learned that irrigation can lead to optimal growth in plants. What does this mean for your lawn and landscape’s look? I think we can all agree that dying, withering plants and patchy grass do not create a very aesthetic look for your lawn, landscape, and property as a whole. However, with proper irrigation and fruitful plants, your lawn will thrive, looking beautiful throughout the entire season.
6. Higher Curb Appeal
While having a better-looking lawn and landscape is satisfying and fulfilling for you as a homeowner, the effects of a more beautiful landscape go far beyond that. Through proper irrigation and creating an attractive landscape, your curb appeal will grow exponentially.
We all know first impressions are essential, and our landscape is one of the first things people notice when they see our home for the first time. If you anticipate putting your house on the market in the future, irrigation is a step you do not want to skip.
7. Increased Home Value
While curb appeal due to simple aesthetics indirectly increases your home’s market value, irrigation can also directly increase your home value. When potential buyers learn that you have irrigation systems installed, they will rest assured that you have taken a lot of the hard work out of landscaping.
Your home’s irrigation system’s convenience and financial benefits will be a major perk to buyers when deciding which home to buy.
8. Lower Water Bill
Many homeowners overwater their lawn and landscape. This primarily happens for one of the following reasons:
- They are afraid of under-watering, so they overwater to be safe.
- They are unsure how much to water, so they water until it seems to be enough.
Not only can overwatering have damaging effects on your plants, but it can also have an impact on your wallet. Since irrigation systems are designed to deliver the correct amount of water to your plants, you are alleviating the risk of running up your water bill due to unnecessary watering. Click here to learn about how irrigation can save you money.
9. Less Maintenance
Irrigation installation will lead to less maintenance for several reasons.
First, since your plants are less susceptible to death and disease, you will spend less time shopping for and replacing new plants. Second, and most obviously, you will spend less time outdoors watering your plants and your grass. All the watering will be done for you without a thought.
10. Convenience for Travelers
If you travel frequently, you are likely to have hired a neighbor, family member, or lawn care company to water your plants. This can be inconvenient for two reasons. First, it costs time and money to hire and communicate with someone. Second, since others don’t know your plants’ water needs like you, they can accidentally over or underwater your plants. This can have harmful effects on your plants, especially if you’re away for days or weeks at a time.
Irrigation systems, however, will continue without fail, no matter where you are.
11. Lower Landscaping Budget
While irrigation systems save you money on your water bill, their financial benefits are not limited to water conservation. Since your plants are less likely to be unhealthy and diseased, you likely will not experience as much plant death. As a result, you won’t have to replace as many plants as you did in the past. This leads to a lower amount of money spent on your lawn and landscape yearly, and more money to invest in yourself and your family.
12. Reduced Impact on the Environment
We have already discussed the impact of irrigation on water conservation: it lowers your budget and is also better for the environment. By using less water, you decrease the amount of water diverted from natural sources, and you decrease the amount of energy used to treat wastewater.
Irrigation: Next Steps
Irrigation has undeniable benefits for your lawn and landscape. It promotes your plants’ health, saves you time and money, and positively benefits your home’s value.
Are you a homeowner struggling to keep your plants and grass healthy? If so, irrigation could be the solution to creating a healthy lawn and landscape.
Do you think your lawn and landscape are already healthy? Even if this is the case, installing an irrigation system can still benefit you in many ways. it can take the work out of maintaining a green lawn, and it can give you more time to spend on things that matter.
If you are interested in reaping an irrigation system’s benefits but don’t know where to start, consult the professionals at Rivers Lawn and Landscape. We are here to help.