Now more than ever, it’s important to ensure your landscape is equipped with the proper irrigation. During our hot summer months, most areas in North Texas will experience drought conditions. Water usage is more than doubled in the summer when compared to the winter months. This means that area reservoirs will be working overtime. Having a reliable irrigation system is crucial to saving money and ensuring your investment will last for years to come.

A reliable irrigation system not only serves your landscape but also protects the foundation of your home. Our clay soils expand and contract in response to rainfall. This can create the potential for cracks to develop in your foundation. Too much water around your foundation can cause as many problems as too little water. The addition of a drainage system can help keep water from pooling and move it away from your home’s foundation. Also, recent changes in local community regulations are requiring a licensed irrigator to perform most work.

We recommend the following tips for you to ensure your system is operating at peak performance:

• Learn the needs of your landscape plantings. Plants that have a similar water requirement are best grouped together. An irrigation zone that delivers the proper amount of water will keep your plants looking their best. A Landscape Designer should take this in account when planning your design.
• As mentioned, proper drainage is essential to keeping water moving away from the foundation of your home. A French drain may be recommended as one option in controlling standing water.
• Installing a rain and freeze sensor will pay dividends immediately by turning off your irrigation system during rainfall. They will turn your system off until the soil requires additional watering. Too much water can cause problems with your entire landscape. Lawns and plants can die very quickly when their roots sit in water. Also, it just wastes money!
• Correctly setting your controller will enable your system to operate at peak performance. Most controllers allow you to easily change watering schedules and zones. Your Irrigation Specialist can train you on the proper settings.
• Repair a broken system immediately. Risers, heads and nozzles are durable but can become damaged or broken by being improperly installed. Regularly checks of these components should ensure your system operates correctly.
• Avoid the runoff of fertilizers and pesticides. Runoff of these chemicals pollutes the water quality and increase the need for filtration systems to work even harder.
• Hire a licensed Irrigation Specialist. Changes in local city codes require that a licensed irrigator perform the design, installation and maintenance of an irrigation system. At Harvest Landscape, we have a State of Texas licensed irrigator on staff to service our clients.