Irrigation Feature: Keeping It Green, With Less Water

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Depending on where you’re located, smart irrigation will mean different things. For those of us prone to the hot dry Southern California summers, though, it means conserving water wherever and whenever possible. Caring for lawns and landscapes is a year-round task and we must adapt to the changing seasons and weather conditions. Summer is the most threatening to lawns since the high heat, dry air, and lack of rainfall create the perfect conditions for lawns to brown.

In order to mitigate the harm caused by the hot summer months, preventative care is key. Sharpening the blades of your mowers, adjusting the blades to deliver a longer/higher cut, and setting your landscape to be watered in the morning are all tried and true tips that make landscapes flourish in the heat, but the real trick that we have found that most benefits our clients is installing a smart irrigation system before the temperatures hit the triple digits.

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Efficient irrigation helps reduce water costs and use. (Photo: Freepik)

 

As a landscape professional, your clients count on you to provide them with unmatched service and a gorgeous landscape, but when your work enables their landscape to remain thriving even by September, you will have really earned their loyalty. Especially when you are saving them money on their water bill at a time when electric bills are through the roof.

To do this, we highly recommend the installation of a smart irrigation system. Our company has partnered with Weathermatic, and we utilize their SmartLink technology; however, there are other irrigation systems available for you to choose from. Smart irrigation technology has been developed to make your life easier and your clients’ landscapes greener.

What Is Smart Irrigation?

Smart irrigation, such as SmartLink, is an advanced smart water and site management technology that has been developed and is available to the landscape industry. It’s a wireless network that, unlike timer-based sprinkler systems, takes into account current weather and soil conditions to avoid underwatering or overwatering, which damages a landscape. These systems feature an app which allows you to irrigate a property from any location. And, with the ability to control up to hundreds of different sites online, smart irrigation technology makes managing irrigation systems for homeowners’ associations, golf courses, government municipalities, airports, and other commercial properties very easy.

What are the advantages of using smart irrigation technology? Timer-based sprinkler systems can overwater by as much as 50% on a regular basis, and damage plants, waste water, and raise your client’s water bills significantly. With smart irrigation systems, you can appeal to clients and prospects with reduced water costs and no unnecessary water usage, as well as the ability to deliver a pristine landscape all year long.

Smart irrigation technology offers advantages such as:

  • Systems are installed and activated in minutes.
  • Clients save up to 70% on water bills.
  • Systems can be accessed from any computer or mobile device 24/7.
  • Systems are equipped with web-based programming and data storage.
  • Water savings of 20-30%.
  • Automatic updates to remain in compliance with local watering restrictions.
  • Systems produce water savings reports to provide clients.
  • Systems alert you of any problems with your client’s irrigation systems.

Angelo is President and CEO of Stay Green, Inc., a provider of landscape maintenance, tree care, and plant health care services for premiere residential, commercial, and industrial properties throughout Southern California.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at acosgrove@groupc.com.

Editor’s Note: July is designated as Smart Irrigation Month, an initiative of the Irrigation Association (IA) which promotes the importance and value of smart irrigation practices. Industry professionals are encouraged to raise awareness about all aspects of smart irrigation, including the people and the technologies that efficiently apply water to turfgrass, landscapes, and agricultural fields throughout the world. IA will also be holding a virtual education week Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. Visit irrigation.org to learn more.