Lawn Irrigation: The Fast Track to Healthy Grass

A lawn full of green grass can make a house complete. While rain does the best job of lawn irrigation, some areas don't receive enough of it to keep grass looking healthy. In some places, installing a lawn irrigation system is a must if you want to have any grass at all.

The Sprinkler
The most common type of lawn irrigation is, of course, the sprinkler. Usually on a timer, sprinklers release a set amount of water at specified points in the day. The type of sprinkler you should choose depends on the shape of the land you wish to sprinkle.

A "spray" sprinkler is good for lawns that are relatively flat. They are stationary (though, some "pop up" out of the ground) and release a large amount of water. Spray sprinklers are not ideal for sloped lawns because the large amounts of water don't have time to be absorbed into the soil before sliding down a hillside. This results in less than adequate lawn irrigation at the top of the slope, and too much at the slope's bottom. If a spray type sprinkler system is already in place on a less than flat lawn, setting the timer to release less water more times during the day will help reduce this unevenness.

A "rotor" sprinkler shoots smaller amounts of water from a swiveling head. They are preferred for land that is not flat (easily illustrated by their extensive use on golf courses). They are designed so that water doesn't build up in any one place, no matter its grade. Since rotor sprinklers can shoot water long distances, they are also better for large spaces.

Drip Irrigation
The "drip" method is not preferred for lawn irrigation. It is much better suited for flowerbeds and the like. Basically, a drip system is a long hose dotted with holes where water can escape. The hose can be put on or in the ground to directly target a plant's roots. Individual plants can be matched with where the holes are, making nearly every drop of water effective. Because little to no water is wasted, a drip system promotes water conservation and costs less than a sprinkler when used to irrigate individual plants.

Lawn Irrigation Rules of Thumb
First and foremost, lawn irrigation is only effective when water gets to the plant's roots. Small amounts of water several times a day is always preferable to a large amount once a day, especially in dry climates. If your soil is sandy it will absorb water quickly. Water given once a day will only hit the roots briefly before sinking beneath them. If your soil absorbs water slowly, the water is more likely to run off or evaporate if given all at once (again not reaching the roots).

It's good to know what you're watering. Some plants require significantly less water than others. If you know how much each type of plant needs, then you can water accordingly instead of giving the same amount to everything. This will conserve water as well as money.