Irrigation Repairs and Installation

My irrigation manager *hates* generalizations… each micro climate and scenario needs a different answer, but when forced, he gave me an answer…

General guidelines for how long zones should be running in your irrigation:

• Sprays: 20 min
• Rotors: 40 min
• MP Rotators: 40 min
• Drip: 30 min
• Bubbler: 30 min

Keep this in mind..

• More sun = longer
• Hotter = longer
• Heavy shade = pinch shorter
• Bed with xeric plants = shorter
• Area with tropical thirsty plants = longer
• Soil type…sandy drains faster.
• Steep slopes have runoff issues

2 to 3 times per week in peak summer…unless you are under watering restrictions.

Rocks and Concrete

Don’t water your sidewalks, driveways, empty rock beds, or the side of your house.

You can cap heads or entire zones.

You can convert “90 degree spray heads” into  “45 degree spray heads” if that is what is needed.

Either something in your system is broken or you don’t have proper coverage (meaning the irrigation doesn’t apply enough water to certain areas even when functioning as designed).

We recommend you water throughout the year. You can greatly decrease your watering in the winter but plants benefit from watering even in dormancy.

It’s hard to over water in Texas in the summer. But if you are experiencing fungus, that’s a clear indicator you need to make some adjustments (either to amount or timing).

Shade can be a huge help to turf (especially afternoon shade). You can water 20-30% less in a shady area than a sunny area. The difficulty lies in the system design. Does one zone cover both areas? Or can you isolate shady areas from sunny areas in the controller settings?

Water water water. Keep it very wet until the roots are established.

Each fertilizer and weed control application is slightly different for optimal performance, but generally, you want to water it in within 48 hours.

Water runs down hill…so slopes need more water than flat areas to actually reach the roots. The steeper the slope and the harder the ground, the more water needed to properly care for the turf and plants.

No matter the water restrictions, watering by hand is a great supplement. If your irrigation system is working as it should, you should only need to water by hand to supplement your watering schedule. If you are under water restrictions, often watering by hand is an approved method so it can be very important and valuable during the hottest times of the year (specifically in the plants around the house).

Watering by hand could be a bit better because you will be very cognizant of where the water goes. But it takes a TON of time. Frankly, it is pretty impractical unless your yard is very small or it is only does as a supplement.

Yes. It is hard in the summer. But it is possible in a heavily shaded area at the bottom of a slope.

My #1 lawn question is how can I have a hydrangea bush in Texas because they’re my favorite and I’m so sad every time I go to the south that I don’t have one.

You need to understand soil and hardiness zones. I wish they grew well here as well. But we have a couple of issues…1) our soil is alkaline and hydrangeas need more acidity in the soil. 2) our high and low temperatures kill hydrangeas…