An irrigation system is the automatic watering of the soil through various tubes, sprays, and pumps. Different types of irrigation systems supply water to your garden uniformly. It is common to see irrigation systems in locations where there are dry seasons or irregular rainfall.
Irrigation systems used to be a luxury, but nowadays, they have become cheaper and more affordable. Even though there is a cost involved in buying and installing the equipment, the savings in water can quickly pay off the investments. Hand-watering your garden should be considered a luxury due to the large amounts of water waste it generates. Therefore, an irrigation system is the most convenient and cost-effective way to keep your garden healthy and beautiful in all of Australia.
Make Your Sydney Garden Thrive With An Irrigation System
The best Australian landscape designers have put together ten benefits of installing an irrigation system for your home garden. Let's analyze them.
- Increased Home Value. Your lawn and garden give the first impression of your property to everyone, including potential buyers. A professional irrigation system installation keeps your lawn and gardens beautiful and vibrant, getting immediate attention from potential buyers and becoming a central selling point. Also, the savings on water bills can allow you to use that money in remodelling projects to continue increasing your home value.
- Varied Environmental Benefits. Sprinklers do not always convey the idea of an environmentally friendly solution, but modern technology allows them to be set up to provide the correct amount of water. Other irrigation systems based on tubes and pumps are also designed to conserve water and use it efficiently. Of course, it takes knowledge and experience to configure your irrigation system properly, and this is why you need the assistance of experts in landscape solutions in Sydney.
No matter what irrigation system you use, it will always be superior to the classic hand-watering of your garden, where you can only guess when you've watered enough.
It is not only about saving water, but irrigation systems have additional environmental benefits such as:
-Absorption of atmospheric pollutants. Healthy turf absorbs carbon dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide, and other gases. It also converts these gases into clean oxygen for the air.
- Erosion prevention. A healthy and vigorous lawn creates deep root systems that hold the soil together, preventing erosion and runoff.
-Temperature stabiliser. Healthy lawns and gardens cool down the temperature around your house more than solid materials like concrete or gravel. This is beneficial during a hot summer. The cool air around your home helps your air conditioner units run with less effort, reducing the cost of electricity.
- Convenience. Hand watering your garden and lawn can easily take a long time every week, and it exposes you to the sun and wrong positions that could affect your back, especially for the elderly. An irrigation system becomes a time-saver when set up correctly.
You can use programmable sprinklers to water daily or every two or three days. You can adjust the schedule according to the season, increasing the frequency during summer and decreasing it during winter. You can also select the time of day to better meet your garden's needs. Australian landscape designers can help you design an irrigation system and program that will benefit your garden and make your life easier.
- Financial Savings. A beautiful garden that makes you and your wallet happy is undoubtedly desirable. Thanks to a properly configured irrigation system, your water bills will go down compared to hand-watering your garden. It is not only cheaper, but it is more efficient and will make your garden healthier than ever before. It indeed takes some investment to get it done right. You need a proper irrigation system design to make the most out of it. It is recommended that experts in landscape solutions in Sydney be contacted to prepare a good design that will pay for itself in time with water savings.
To further increase the savings, set a reminder to readjust the watering program to be less frequent during the rainy season.
- Improved Aesthetics. Bald spots, dirt, and dead grass make a terrible lawn and damage your property's image. Gaps can also give room for weeds to develop, making your property look unkempt. On the other hand, a well-kept lawn and garden are attractive and pleasing to look at. An irrigation system is vital to reaching this goal because it provides consistent and regular amounts of water to your garden.
Also, a well-designed irrigation system ensures that every spot of your garden and lawn is covered. Australian landscape designers are careful not to overlook an area or overwater another when configuring the irrigation system. They will consider its functionality and ensure that it looks aesthetically pleasing.
- Preserve Valuable Soil Nutrients. Hand-watering your plants can reduce the number of nutrients in the soil. How? With overwatering or underwatering.
Overwatering. When the water floods through the soil, it takes away essential soil nutrients. This means that your plants won't get as many nutrients as they could. Also, when the water floods through the soil, it produces an oversaturation of water, and it compacts the soil around the roots, leading to rotten roots that can eventually kill the plant. Well-designed irrigation systems are accurately calibrated to prevent these scenarios, keeping the integrity of the soil nutrition for the sake of healthy plants.
Underwatering. Lack of water can also remove essential nutrients from the soil. If the soil is too dry, it produces erosion and endangers the soil's top layer, making it dusty and prone to blow away with the wind. Again, according to the most trusted landscape designer in Sydney, irrigation systems can keep the right level of moisture in your soil.
- Consistently Even Watering. One of the main objectives of installing an irrigation system is to provide even watering in all the lawns and gardens. This is easier said than done. It is not a matter of just installing sprinklers and pointing them in the right direction since this would probably create areas of overwatering and underwatering. It requires time and expertise to design the layout and select the proper irrigation method. Dapple offers this service as part of its landscape design. We can even assist you with your garden design online.
Some of the areas we consider are the size of your yard, the elevation of your property, and the local climate. When there are elevation changes, it is key to factor those in to ensure that the water doesn't flow all in the same direction, saturating an area.
- Prevention of Plant Diseases, Weeds, and Fungi. Each plant has a different need, and Irrigation systems allow you to meet those specific needs. Some plants need water from sprinklers, but others do better with drip systems since the water can reach the plants' roots. The drip irrigation method is very effective because it accurately gives water to the plants only and not to other fungi or weeds nearby.
Fungi are susceptible to developing with the mix of leaves and standing droplets of water. Standing water is something that irrigation systems efficiently prevent.
- Adequate Watering Schedule. When is the best time to water your garden? According to Your Home site from the Australian Government, you should water early in the morning or evening so that the water penetrates and doesn't evaporate. When designing irrigation systems, we recommend early morning since the water that stays overnight might create some fungi.
You can program the irrigation to be early in the morning and ensure that it doesn't conflict with your showering time, as that might cause some water pressure loss.
- Great for Travelling. How many times have you asked a friend or neighbour to water your garden while you are away? It is a big issue for frequent travellers to have a garden to maintain. With a well-designed irrigation system, you can have a wonderful lawn and garden while being able to live anytime you want for however long you want. Instead of returning home and seeing everything dry and dead, you will see a healthy and vibrant garden that will lift your spirits.
Indeed, there are plenty of reasons for having a good irrigation system. How many types are out there? There are many. You can have a look at this guide from the Department of Primary Industries, which is tailored to agricultural businesses, and you will see the different options available. There is certainly a lot to consider but with great benefits. It is recommended to have the help of professional Australian landscape designers to guide you in this process and create a successful garden.
At Dapple, we are more than happy to share our expertise and knowledge with you. Call us today at 1300 DAPPLE (1300 327 753) to get a free consultation; together we will create the garden of your dreams with the most straightforward maintenance.