Recently in Drought Category

Beat the HEAT

By Richard Silverman on August 8, 2011 10:03 PM
kids_sprinkler.jpgDuring these hot days of extreme temperatures it is important to implement a plan to protect your lawn and plants. Here are several action steps to care for your landscape investment:

1. Water often and for long periods whenever possible. When water begins to form a puddle on your property then cut back on the run time for that zone. If possible, run a second cycle during the day.

2. Water early morning. Anytime after midnight and before 10am. The water pressure is high, the volume is best and distribution of water will also be at its optimum.

3. Water during the day to cool grass down. Golf courses do this all the time and it is called syringing. Ground water from our aquifer is 54 degrees Fahrenheit and the cool water will calm down lawn & plants and relieve some stress. It is a myth that watering during the day will burn your plants.
Continue reading Beat the HEAT.

SPRINKLER ALERT!

By Richard Silverman on July 19, 2011 7:25 PM
The HEAT is on! DUE TO HIGH HEAT AND PROLONG DRY PERIOD WE ARE ADVISING ALL OF OUR CLIENTS TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

rotary-sprinklers.jpg1. Increase the run time on your rotary sprinkler zones to 60 minutes per day for sunny areas.

2. Increase your SPRAY sprinkler zones to water for 15 minutes every day.

3. Increase your DRIP IRRIGATION zones to water for 60 minutes every day.

4. Increase the water budget key on your sprinklers to 110% or more.

5. Water as early in the morning as possible. Start at 1 am if possible. This will give your system the greatest pressure and volume and operate at the highest efficiency. It will also finish the cycle before you are up and using water in the home.

Continue reading SPRINKLER ALERT!.

Sprinkler Modifications

By Richard Silverman on July 12, 2011 4:48 PM
Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for blocked sprinkler heads 003.jpgBy now most everyone has had their sprinklers turned on and many of the repairs completed. As the season moves into the hot summer many of the calls for service are related to changes in the landscape and or home due to the following:

1. Plants grow and block the spray from the sprinkler heads. Sprinklers heads either need to be added to improve coverage, raised above plantings, or moved to provide better coverage.

blocked sprinkler heads 002.jpg2. Roots from trees can grow around sprinkler pipes and strangle piping reducing flow and loss of coverage.

3. New plantings can sometimes interfere with spray distribution.

4. New landscape construction such as patios, walkways, driveways, etc. can interfere with sprinkler coverage.


Continue reading Sprinkler Modifications.

Spring Start Ups 2011

By Richard Silverman on May 26, 2011 2:56 PM
sto2011.jpgSpring start ups are more than 50% complete and if you haven't had your sprinkler system turn on yet than this would probably be the last good week before the hot weather arrives. Hot weather is sure to return and I recommend you be prepared.

This spring we are finding more problems than usual due to the long and unusually cold winter that just passed. There are many different types of sprinkler systems that we install and with more than 70 days of snow cover on the ground we have found damage due to:

• Snow plows and snow blowers
• Machinery such as thatches, core aerators, and lawn mowers
• Continuous freeze thaw action of the ground on pipes and fittings tearing them apart

sprinkler.jpgSprinkler equipment, specifically residential grade sprinkler equipment, is only manufacture red to last 10 -12 years at most. Many of the sprinkler systems that Rain Rich services are much older and this is due to better quality equipment we install vs. the equipment our competitors install and the superior service we provide e.g. winterizing.
Continue reading Spring Start Ups 2011 .

Lawns Looking Terrible?

By Richard Silverman on July 20, 2010 5:00 PM

Thumbnail image for Mill River Golf Course"I water all the time and my lawn still looks terrible!"

This is the most common complaint from many of my clients that have been calling during this hot and dry period.  When I respond to the call I first  look to make sure that the sprinklers are coming on and running. Second,  I check the program to see that the  watering is more frequent  and for a longer run time. July is the hottest and driest month of the year. Lawn and plants are under great stress to stay healthy  and look their best. 

Here are the top 10 problems I find :

1. Not watering enough. The average evapotranspiration rate of a plant on a sunny hot day could be 0.25"/day or greater. Equal amounts of water need to be replaced with an irrigation cycle. Check the coverage of the sprinkler heads and make sure that they are covering from one sprinkler head to the next sprinkler head and overlap each other.

2. The water pressure may be to low to allow sprinklers to operate properly   due to high demand by all consumers during specific times of the day. 

3. Watering during the day when sun is the strong and evaporates most of the water before it penetrates into the soil.

4. Lawns are cut too short. Grass should be cut 3" and higher each time it is mowed in the summer. Cutting it shorter that 3" allows sunlight to bake the soil and roots.

Continue reading Lawns Looking Terrible?.
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This page is an archive of recent entries in the Drought category.

drip irrigation is the previous category.

Earth Day is the next category.

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