Sprinkler systems make watering a lawn in Dallas, TX much easier, but you’ll want to make sure to perform maintenance checks periodically to make sure it’s watering your lawn efficiently in the summer heat. It’s a good idea to perform a monthly sprinkler system evaluation, checking for these things:
- Check the schedule: On your sprinkler system box, check to make sure the schedule settings are appropriate for the season. For summer, it’s recommended you water your lawn twice a week for about 20-30 minutes per day. Watering every day causes shallow roots, whereas not watering often enough will obviously deprive your lawn of the water it needs. If you’re under a water restriction and can only water once per week, you can increase the time to 45-50 minutes. In the summer months, it’s especially important to make sure your system is scheduled to water very early in the morning to avoid unnecessary evaporation. Evenings are second best, but even then the temperatures are higher than in the early morning hours during the summer, especially in North Texas.
- Check the zones: To do this, run each zone independently to make sure each has proper coverage and is running smoothly. The sprinklers should overlap by about 10%, and should be spraying low to the ground. Look for any malfunctioning sprinkler heads that may have been hit by a mower and replace them as needed.
- Check the depth: Make sure the water is penetrating deep enough below the surface of the lawn to further establish deeper roots. After watering, dig a hole in an inconspicuous area of the lawn and measure how deep the water goes. You will want about 6-8 inches of depth for an efficient watering and a healthier lawn.
- Check the coverage: Sometimes it can be difficult to get your sprinkler system to water evenly. Before you turn on the water, place cups or containers around the yard (weigh them down with rocks if they aren’t heavy enough to not tip over). After running through a watering cycle, check to see how much water is in each container to see if your sprinkler system is watering evenly.
Checking the schedule, zones, depth, and coverage should help maintain your sprinkler system throughout the summer months and provide your lawn with a healthy and efficient amount of watering. However, if problems arise or you aren’t comfortable performing these system checks on your own, call CGreens at 972-231-2870 for a free consultation. They service Dallas, TX and the surrounding areas and would love to help with any of your outdoor maintenance needs.
