Rain Barrel Watering to the Rescue

Craig features a rain barrel water system set up in a back deck area of a home in Atlanta, Georgia. The homeowner re-uses the rain water collected from the gutter along his roof top, corralled into a plastic barrel fitted with a faucet for easy access in watering his plants along the deck. For more lawn sprinkler irrigation resources,

8 Water Saving Tips To Put You On Track

Tips: Saving Water Outdoors


1. Don’t overwater your lawn – no more than once a week in the winter or twice a week in the summer. A good rain eliminates the need for watering for up to two weeks. Buy a rain gauge. Most of the year, lawns only need one inch of water per week.


2. Plant it smart. Xeriscape landscaping is a great way to design, install and maintain both your plants and irrigation system. It will save time, money and water.


3. Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces evaporation and waste.


4. Position sprinklers so water lands on the lawn and shrubs and not on paved areas.


5. Install irrigation devices that are the most water efficient for each use. Micro and drip irrigation and soaker hoses are examples of efficient devices.


6. Check sprinkler systems and timing devices regularly to be sure they operate properly. Florida law now requires that “anyone who purchases and installs an automatic lawn sprinkler system MUST install a rain sensor device or switch which will override the irrigation cycle when adequate rainfall has occurred.”


7. Raise the lawn mower blade to at least three inches, or to its highest level. A higher cut encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture.


8. Avoid over fertilizing your lawn.

[Source: South Florida Water Management]

For more free tips to help us all consume water wisely:

(1) Check out the index of our previous blogs on this page


(2) Click Show Me How to find fast facts and tips to saving money and managing your lawn sprinkler system

Fall: Whether to Water--depends on the Weather

The cooler weather is a great relief, isn't it?!

Change is in the air---and changes are needed for your lawn watering schedule, as well.

Experts say to water less when the temperature is cooler.

Remember in any season, it's best to water your lawn early in the morning between 5:00 and 8:00 a.m.

Installing Lawn Irrigation Sprinkler Rain Sensor Can Be Simple

Automatic sprinkler system controllers are programmed to go on and off on a certain day and at a certain time. The controller does not know if it is sunny and dry outside or raining. For this reason every lawn sprinkler system should have a rain sensor.

The rain sensor determines whether or not enough rainfall has occurred in order to skip an irrigation cycle. There are three basic types of rain sensors. They all serve the same purpose: keeping your system from over-watering the turf or your garden. How does it do that? The electrical connection between the sensor and your sprinkler system controller is interrupted when a certain ...MORE