Everyone wants to have a well-maintained and attractive lawn. A gorgeous lawn is not only a source of pride for you, but also a source of great admiration or envy for your neighbors. Great yards can add to your home’s value and boost its curb appeal.
If you are planning to sell your home in the future, how the lawn looks matters a lot. Remember that buyers want to see lush, green lawns, which enhances the overall aesthetic of the property. Even if you aren’t planning to sell your home, having an attractive property will make staying at home more relaxing.
To make your lawn look attractive, you have to plant shrubs, trees, flowers, and grass. You can also have a vegetable garden for your favorite vegetables and fruits. All these plants need watering for their sustenance. To water your property correctly, you must choose an irrigation system that ensures the plants get enough water at the right time to continue to grow.
Here are the top five irrigation trends of 2021.
1. Sprinkler Irrigation System
The sprinkler irrigation system is a method of irrigating plants that involves spraying water on the plants. The water comes down onto the plants just like rainfall. This irrigation system employs pipes with nozzles attached to them to spray water onto your yard.
Sprinkler irrigation works perfectly on grassy areas or in places with shrubs. This design is quite economical and easy to set up and run. It delivers water uniformly to ensure no plant suffers. You’ll love this system because it can help you irrigate an extensive area in a short time. The system minimizes water evaporation more efficiently than most irrigation systems.
If you wish, you can automate this system. You can program the automated system to deliver water only when necessary, ensuring that you don’t waste water. Sprinkler irrigation systems use Wi-Fi controls and can monitor the weather. The sprinklers will activate when your plants are dry and will turn off when they are wet.
2. Furrow Irrigation System
Furrow irrigation systems are another choice for gardens. In this system, a landscaper digs small furrows (or trenches) in the garden parallel to each other. Between the furrows, gardeners plant crops on the raised ridges of the furrow. Gardeners can water (or irrigate) their crops by filling the furrows with water.
The furrow irrigation system is the best option for crops such as soybeans, sunflowers, sugar cane, corn, tomatoes, and beans. The furrow irrigation system is popular because it’s affordable, easy to install, cheap to maintain, and helps retain nutrients in the soil. This method conserves water while leading to higher yields for your crops.
3. Center Pivot Irrigation
The center pivot irrigation system is almost similar in operation to the sprinkler system. Like a sprinkler system, the center pivot system also sprinkles water on the plants. The water from a center point irrigation system mimics rainfall. Rather than the rain falling on the crops, the center point system has a rotating tube with rotating water outlets.
Gardeners or farmers use this system to irrigate larger areas than a sprinkler irrigation system can reach effectively, such as vast farms or lawns. The center pivot irrigation system is excellent for use on plants with similar water needs, because it distributes water evenly. Many homeowners love the center point system because it runs at low pressure and conserves energy.
4. Drip Irrigation System
The drip irrigation system is very popular for good reason. One of the most significant advantages of this method is that it delivers water directly to the plant roots. Farmers often use drip irrigation systems with vineyards, orchards, and other high-value crops.
Just like the sprinkler irrigation system, the drip irrigation system uses a network of pipes. The only difference is with a drip system, the pipes have holes (emitters) in them at intervals. These holes drip water at the roots of the plants.
Landscapers lay the pipes underground, or place them directly on the ground. They position the holes so they coincide with the plants to avoid water wastage. Drip irrigation will reduce your irrigation water bill by 30% to 50% compared to other irrigation systems. Property owners can control the water so it drips slowly. The drip system doesn’t lead to soil erosion, meaning it doesn’t wash away the minerals in the soil with rapid water flow.
5. Terraced Irrigation
If your lawn, farm, or garden is not on even ground, you need a terraced irrigation system. Terraced irrigation systems are a solution for property that isn’t level, because water runs off more easily from uneven ground than on flat terrain. Other irrigation methods like sprinkle irrigation or drip irrigation can lead to high erosion rates on uneven turf. Terraced irrigation systems use a series of steps (or terraces) on the lawn or garden to retain water.
Once a landscaper makes the terraces, water moves from the top of the terrace downwards. You can grow grass, shrubs, or crops with a terrace irrigation system. This irrigation method improves land productivity and soil fertility. It also lowers the erosion rates in the soil, which saves you both soil and expense. The flat steps on the terraces prevent water from flowing downwards quickly.
Terraced irrigation systems can incorporate other irrigation systems to distribute water. For example, once you’ve made the terraces, you can use the sprinkler system or the drip irrigation system. Irrigation experts must be precise with terrace creation to ensure the terraces work properly.
Conclusion
All the above irrigation systems are practical, economical, and efficient. The method you choose will depend on the water needs of your crops and the type of terrain you have. If you live on the sides of a hill for example, a terraced irrigation system would be your best option. If your lawn or garden is large, a sprinkler irrigation system will be the best. The good news is that you can automate your irrigation system, so you don’t have to water your plants manually. When it comes to the installation of an irrigation system, choose a licensed, experienced, and honest irrigation contractor. You also need an expert to help you select the type of plants that match with a particular irrigation system. For instance, grasses thrive well under sprinkler irrigation systems, while trees and shrubs do better with drip irrigation. No matter which type of irrigation system you choose, make sure an expert irrigation contractor does the installation.