Steps to Easy, Automated Garden Watering

 

The best time to water the garden in the summer is in the morning between four and six o'clock. At this time the soil is well cooled down after the night and the water hardly evaporates. But who wants to get up so early every day?

The remedy is an automatic garden watering system that allows sprinklers and sprayers to turn themselves on and off.  Thanks to smart technology, it can even detect whether rain is expected in the next few hours.  If so, the water tap will of course remain turned off.

From what garden size is an irrigation system worthwhile?

An irrigation system can make sense from 600 square ft of garden area. The larger the garden and the lawn area are and the more beds, hedges, and useful plants are on it, the more recommendable an automatic solution is.

Otherwise, you would have to stand in the garden for hours to water it sufficiently.  Well, maybe no one but me : )  I find watering the soil one of the most relaxing gardening pleasures. However, I am laying the hose down, pointing it in the direction where most water is needed. This way I don't need to 'stand'.  The following principle applies: It is better to water less frequently, but more abundantly.  Then the water also reaches deep-lying roots.

How do you install an irrigation system? 

First of all, garden owners need to be clear about which plants they want to water and in which places.  Not every plant needs the same amount of moisture.  Plants in shade might require less than some of those planted in sunny areas.  But as always: read the labels or search the Internet or gardening books!  The key is to have a watering schedule.  You can often create that online on the irrigation manufacturers' websites.  But garden professionals can also help.

Important questions: 
How long are the paths from the watering hole to the plants?  Where can vigorous watering be used, where is drip irrigation more sensible?  Can a central control system manage this or do you need a decentralized solution?

What information is important before making a purchase?

I need to know how strong the pump and garden water pipes are and how many liters per hour pass through.  Based on this value, it is possible to calculate how many sprinklers and valves you can connect to the line. This applies to all systems.  It doesn't matter whether the irrigation is controlled by a timer or an app.

Is it worth it to run the hoses underground? 
It's not worth it to run hoses underground in every case.  It's better to lay drip hoses or drip pipes above ground and then cover them with a big layer of mulch.  This protects them from sunlight and reduces evaporation.  However, if it does get below freezing in the winter, you will need to bury it below the frost line. To find out the depth of the frost line, you should consult your local government agency that handles building permits.

If garden owners want to avoid tripping:
Distribution lines are usually laid 20 to 40 centimeters (12-24 inches) below ground level.  Then they are not in the way.

What do you need in addition to garden hoses?

That depends on how sophisticated you want the irrigation system to be.  For the simplest option, a timer mounted between the water connection and the garden hose is all that's needed. 

The timer controls the flow through a valve.  This allows you to set when and how long to water, for example, every twelve hours for 30 minutes. Or much better: one hour every three days.

A sensor can help to target the plants more precisely.  You install it at a reference point in the garden.  It measures the soil moisture and sends corresponding signals to the control center.  After extensive rain, the water doesn't come back on until the set value is reached.  

You still might enjoy the pleasure of hand-watering the soil of your flower baskets, window flower boxes, and planters.  But not please not overhead the blooms and leaves!  And don't forget to fertilize them from time to time in spring and early summer.

Read more:

https://heartlandhoses.com/can-you-bury-a-garden-hose

https://housecaravan.com/should-you-bury-drip-irrigation-lines/

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Last month I helped a friend during her month-long trip to Europe to keep the garden in shape - which meant to water it almost daily during this heat wave...  I expected to haul heavy garden hoses through her extensive property.  But no: She had a wonderful lightweight garden hose that looked like crinkled fabric and expanded from one end of the garden, around the house, and all the way to the other side of the property fence. 

She showed me how to use this amazing garden hose: 

• First, you roll the hose completely from the holder
• Only then, you open the faucet
• Once the water runs through the hose, it expands to its full length

It works like a charm! The hose is so light and so easy to use, it's suddenly a total pleasure to water the garden, and so much faster. No twisting and kinking and forth and back running, like it used to be with the old, heavy garden hoses. 

I wrote this article two summers ago, and now the prices

for this wonderful garden device dropped to less than half:

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• Expands 3 times its length when water pressure is on
• Contracts to its original length when pressure is off
• Weights 5 times less than traditional garden hose
• Self-drains itself when not in use
• Never tangles, twists or kinks
• Easy to store in very small places

Check out their whole collection of great watering tools with free shipping!

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Watering Your Garden:

Never water your yard in the heat of the day. First, you waste a lot of water due to evaporation and second it CAN burn your grass or plant leaves. Best time to water is from 5am until no later than about 8am.

You are doing fine to water two or three times a week, soaking the soil thoroughly. Those people who water every single day and over-water are creating lawns that develop short shallow roots and are susceptible to dying in the winter if there is a bad freeze. 

In the summer their grass requires MORE water as the roots are not digging down deep looking for a water source either nor are they able to retain the moisture being that close to the surface. The deeper the roots the better your grass will survive a long hot and dry summer and a freezing cold winter. 

In flower beds, Mulch is your best friend to help retain water/moisture in those areas and keep them from drying out.

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Fall Garden

How to prepare the garden for winter:

BULB PLANTING

For the best chance of repeat bloom in subsequent years, choose a site in full sun that doesn't get much summer water. Bulbs that naturalize reliably include Allium, Daffodils, Scilla and species tulips. Feed with a fertilizer formulated specifically for bulbs. Squirrels like Tulips, use a piece of chickenwire to cover the soil and then add a thick layer of mulch.

ROSES, SHRUBS & TREES

Plant container roses and prune your hybrid tea roses. Start preparing your roses for winter:Start putting mulch around each of your rose plants after the first frost. You'll want to build up a decent sized mound around the plant, roughly 12 inches above its base.Water your rose plants as you normally would. They need plenty of water to prepare for a long winter.Set up a wire fence around some of your more delicate roses. The fence should be a circle that surrounds the plant and extends several inches above the top of it. Fill the wire fence with leaves. These leaves will insulate the plant from the cold and also protect it from a sudden warm day in the winter. Leaves are the best way to insulate your roses because they allow the plant to breath and don't trap moisture.

DIVIDE AND MOVE PLANTS

Consider moving some plants around now:Moving or dividing perennials in the autumn is a great way to reduce your work next spring.
The cool, moist weather is an ideal time for perennial roots to become well established,even in cold-winter regions. Division not only maintains the health of your perennials, but it's also an easy way to propagate your plants so that you’ll have more coverage next season.

PLANT & AMEND SOIL!!!

Fall is a very good time to plant perennials such as Peonies, Coneflower and black-eyed Susan. You can also plant garlic now for next years harvest. Plant container and balled-and-burlapped trees, fruit trees, shrubs and vines.
Spread a thick layer of compost, seaweed (kelp) or composted manure and then add a thick layer of mulch around shrubs and trees but do not place mulch too close to the plant’s trunk. Mulch helps control weeds, provides insulation for the roots during cold weather, and helps keep the soil moist.

Fall is a good time to fertilize both lawn and garden. Work some bonemeal into the soil, especially around tress and shrubs for good root development.

It’s a good idea to water your garden thoroughly before the ground freezes. Even with snow,
winter can be very dry and harsh for many trees and shrubs.

DIG OUT

Edge the perennial beds. Continue dead-heading any daisy-flowered perennials, especially Echinacea, Rudbeckia and False Sunflower (Heliopsis). These will continue flowering for weeks if you prevent the flowers from forming seeds. If you have Gladiolus, this is the time to dig the corms up and to lift your Dahlias too. Divide a clump of Chives and some bring indoors for fresh Chives in the coming weeks.
Pull out your annuals and throw them in the compost. Cut back your perennials and put the foliage in the compost as long is it's not diseased. Try to keep the fallen leaves raked off the lawn. Put them in the compost, shredding them first, using your lawnmower or mix them really well as they tend to compact. Give your compost pile a final turning.

GARDEN EQUIPMENT

It's time to store your watering hoses inside. Remember to drain them first so they don't freeze and split.Clean and oil your tools so they won't rust over the winter.
Reduce feeding houseplants and do not feed dormant houseplants.

WINTER PROTECTION

Try using evergreen boughs over your shrubs to provide winter protection. They can be forced into the ground before the ground freezes, draping their branches over the shrubs.
Bring in any annual Geraniums! Potted, in a sunny spot they will bloom all winter. Or hang them upside down (with the soil removed) in a cool spot such as the garage or basement.

Trees can be protected from rodent damage by placing a cylinder of ¼-inch mesh hardware cloth around the trunk. The cylinder should extend 5 cm below the ground line for mice and 40 cm above the anticipated snow line for rabbit protection.