One question that gardeners tend to battle with every year is how long should sprinklers run in each zone and the problem is no one can tell you specifically how long a sprinkler system should run in every zone.
There are so many variables to that statement but we can also be able to help you determine how long they can run and even though it might not be a specific answer, it would actually be a very good place to start.
We would be giving out some tips that you can adopt when trying to sprinkle your lawns.
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How Long Should Sprinklers Run In Each Zone
Calibrate Your Sprinkler
If you want to calibrate your sprinkler system then what you have to do is determine the amount of water it tends to provide or generate over time and there is a very simple way to achieve that.
You can either get a cat food can or tuna fish and place it right in the center of the water pattern and then, allow the sprinkler to run for about ten minutes and figure out how much water is left in the can.
If you are looking for twenty-five inches of water then set your timer till the sprinkler delivers that twenty-five inch. This should be done in every zone.
Deep Watering
You can make use of a rain pattern, soak or rain to water deeply. When it comes to watering, you do not really need to water and exceed twenty-five inch in an hour and this is simply because the soil isn’t strong enough to absorb such amount of water and it would end up running down the storm sewer thereby resulting in a waste of money and water.
However, it is okay to water the soil 5 inches and that is because the soil can take about eight inches deep but when pulling with a hose, it is a bit impossible to do this so just water until 5 inches is achieved then move your sprinkler.
If you make use of an automatic sprinkler system, then it would be wise to set two start times as it guarantees running until early in the morning. What this means is you have watered deeply and also efficiently at the same time.
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Infrequent Watering
Using a sprinkler that is already calibrated just like in the first and second steps that we just finished talking about, then you can now set your schedule.
You have it at the back of your mind now that your water at least five inches a day and the lawn makes use of about one to two inches of water between irrigation and rain.
We also know that our lawns need to dry down when watered because it helps in promoting a healthy root and bearing all of these factors in mind, we can now say a sprinkler should be set to water lawns between Monday and Thursday.
This would actually deliver about one inch of water and this is the perfect place to start even during cool weather conditions.
When the lawn is being stressed by heat then you know the lawn obviously needs more water and then you can start watering from Monday to Friday which would deliver about 1.5 inches of water.
However, this is quite enough to sustain your lawn all through the summer but when it is August and the weather is at full blast then you will need to alter your schedule and water every day which delivers about two inches of water.
Bear it in mind that this calculation was done without considering rainfall so you need to make use of a rain gauge or rain sensor to ascertain the amount of water mother nature is providing your lawn with.
