A sprinkler system makes it much easier to keep your lawn watered and green. This can backfire, though, if the sprinkler doesn't work as it should. Fortunately, most systems will work well with proper maintenance and installation. The following are some landscaping mistakes to avoid, since they can interfere with the operation of your sprinkler system.
#1: Ignoring bushes and large plants
Chances are that your landscape wasn't fully developed when you first had the sprinklers installed. Over the years, plants have grown larger or you have added new plants. Unfortunately, sometimes those plants block an emitter so it no longer can spray the section of yard it's supposed to irrigate. When planting something new, make sure it doesn't block any existing emitters. You may also need to prune old plants so they don't block the spray. Another alternative is to switch from a standard lawn emitter to a pole emitter. These can sit a foot or more above ground, which allows them to spray over the top of larger landscape plants.
#2: Installing emitters in mulch beds
Mulch is great for the landscape because it conserved moisture and suppresses weeds, but it isn't always great for sprinkler emitters. The mulch can fall into the hole that houses pop-up emitter heads, which can clog the head or block it from sinking properly into the hole after the sprinkler is done running. If you must place an emitter in a mulched card bed, protect it from these problem by using a sprinkler collar. These plastic or concrete donut-shaped devices sit on top of the soil and surround the sprinkler, which keeps all debris from the mulch away from the emitter.
#3:Not protecting exposed emitters
Exposed emitters are those that are hard to see in taller grass, especially those that are fixed so that they don't drop down after the sprinkler is done running. These types of emitters are the ones most often damaged by a lawn mower. If you have emitters that don't pop down, make sure you can easily spot them when mowing. Either install some lawn flags to indicate their location before each mow, or install protective collars around each emitter so they are easier to spot in the long grass. If you do have the pop-up variety of emitters, check that they all dropped back into their holes before mowing.
For more help, talk with a sprinkler contractor in your area like Sergio's Lawn Service.
Share6 June 2017
When my husband and I bought our house years ago, we thought it would be our "starter" home and we would move in a few years. We soon had two children, and we then decided against moving since we live in a great school district and we love our neighbors. However, I was growing very tired of the appearance of our home. We painted it a different color, and it still seemed like the "same old house" that we were tired of. We finally deciding that maybe good landscaping would "do the trick" and make our home more enjoyable to use again. We were right, and I now love our home! I now love spending time in our yard and just enjoying the scenery. I have such a passion for landscaping now I decided to create a blog about it. I plan to share many landscaping tips, so come back!
