When seasons change, irrigation schedules need optimization. Heinen Landscape’s Fall Watering Guide keeps lawns and plants healthy.
As summer fades into fall, turf, shrubs, and other plantings naturally slow their upward growth. Plants redirect resources from above ground to below the soil – building strong root systems to sustain them through winter dormancy. Although visible growth above the surface appears to slow, that doesn’t mean that plant irrigation should stop. In fact, fall watering schedules are as important as summer watering schedules. As the needs of turf and other plantings change, watering schedules should change as well.
With the correct irrigation adjustments, landscapes thrive into the fall and prepare for winter – without the risk of overwatering!
Benefits of an Irrigation Smart Controller
Smart controllers, like the Rachio 3, make monitoring water usage and seasonal adjustments simple – utilizing mobile phone access to control an irrigation system from anywhere with internet access.
Smart controllers for irrigation systems prevent unnecessary watering by precisely monitoring real-time weather data. If rain is forecasted or moisture levels in the soil are already high, the smart controller will automatically skip, delay, or abbreviate a watering session, ensuring that no water is wasted and turf is protected from overwatering.
This is essential as overwatering in the fall can do far more harm than good. Excess moisture left on grass or pooling on soil can prevent oxygen from reaching plant roots. This can lead to weak, shallow root systems – that may be unable to withstand the stress of winter. Excessive wet conditions can also lead to fungal diseases, thatch buildup, and excessive soil runoff.
Smart controllers automatically make seasonal adjustments to watering schedules to promote strong root development. As turf and other plantings naturally adapt from upward growth to storing energy for the winter, watering schedules should gradually transition to longer cycles at more infrequent intervals. This helps roots build the resiliency they need to survive the cold without depriving them of the hydration they still need.
Schedule a Professional Adjustment
Heinen’s irrigation specialists optimize sprinkler systems for fall by adjusting settings to seasonal and property-specific needs, preventing waste and detecting potential issues before they become an expensive problem.
Heinen’s Fall Watering Guide advises homeowners on the importance of professionally adjusting the settings of automated sprinkler systems in the fall. Heinen’s irrigation specialists can fine-tune systems to meet the unique watering needs of any property.
Their decades of experience enable them to adjust a system’s settings to account for seasonal changes, as well as soil type, slope, sun exposure, and individual plant species. Watering zones are scheduled to operate based on factors such as maximum irrigation efficiency, prevention of overwatering, avoiding water runoff, and other water waste. In short, turf is properly irrigated, plantings are protected from unnecessary damage, and homeowners are protected from unnecessarily high utility bills.
Beyond optimizing sprinkler systems for the season, professional irrigation service in the fall includes early detection of potential system issues. Problem areas, even small issues, can lead to expensive repairs when left unattended during the winter. Heinen’s irrigation professionals can identify inefficiencies, unobserved leaks, broken valves, improperly calibrated sensors, and more – long before freezing temperatures can cause major system damage. A professional seasonal irrigation system adjustment will protect your system from future problems – and boost its overall efficiency.
