Sure, your irrigation company knows about sprinklers, plumbing and hydraulics – but do they know about plants? Plants are the typical target for irrigation so it is important to understand what you are irrigating and how best to deliver the right amount of water.
Irrigation is more of a science than an art. What I mean, is that there is more to watering a landscape than throwing a few sprinklers in the ground and turning on a valve. Understanding that each type of plant has a slightly different water requirement is important, as well as knowing that different soils have different water holding capacities. A significant amount of technology goes into designing sprinklers so that they accurately and efficiently apply water to plant material. Designing an irrigation system involves utilizing this technology to provide the right amount of water to sustain healthy plant growth with minimal waste.
All plants use different amounts of water. Lawns in the North East, typically need the most water, usually around one inch per week through the hottest part of the summer. Newly planted flowers, shrubs and trees come second and established plants require the least amount (but prefer a deep watering when getting irrigated). Knowing what type of the soil the plant is growing in is critical as well. Different soil types have different water holding capacities. Sandy soils will require more irrigation more often, while heavy clay soils will need less water less often. Sandy soils lack the water holding capacity as a clay soil so more watering is required. All of this information is important to proper irrigation and requires knowing a little more than plumbing. Now, that doesn’t mean all irrigators must be Master Gardeners to design, install and schedule irrigation systems, but a little know how goes a long way to providing a great sprinkler system.
Our irrigation designers are industry-certified in design and installation. To achieve this certification, a thorough understanding of soil science and the plant / water connection is required. A series of exams on all areas of horticulture and agriculture as well as irrigation must be successfully passed to become certified. In addition, we also have a Certified Horticulturalist on staff that is trained on the proper horticultural principals in growing and maintaining healthy plants. All this expertise helps ensure that not only is your irrigation system installed properly, it is also designed to provide the optimal amount of water to sustain healthy plants. Contact us today to learn more about what sets Neshanic Valley Irrigation apart from other irrigation companies.