The Greenery’s Commitment to Water Conservation
Tuesday, February 18, 2020 | The Greenery, Inc.
Water conservation and irrigation is an important topic for The Greenery for both residential landscape maintenance and commercial landscape maintenance in the Hilton Head area and beyond.
As a company, we strive to provide healthy green lawns with minimal use of water. Water conservation is a high priority to us. Our irrigation crews are licensed and trained. We design, install, maintain and repair irrigation systems to help ensure the system’s efficiency.
Its important to always make sure your irrigation system is working efficiently by monitoring the watering zones. All irrigation clocks run off zones, with each zone dedicated to a specific area of the lawn. The sprinkler zones should water the turf and flowerbeds, not the hardscapes such as pathways. Thankfully with just a little observation and a few adjustments if needed, you can help reduce the amount of water you’re using and therefore reduce your monthly water bill.
You should be able to check and ensure the settings on the irrigation controller are correct such as the date/time, days of preferred watering and length of run time per each zone.
How can The Greenery help you with your residential and commercial needs in these areas?
The Greenery can perform an irrigation audit when beginning service at a new property at no additional cost. Our staff identifies the functional problems that exist with the current irrigation system and the estimated cost to get it fully operational.
Our trained professionals can also identify water saving opportunities such as capping off areas that are no longer required or modifying the system to reduce waste. This helps our customers to save on two very important things – time and money.
Did you know that rain sensors are required by law on Hilton Head Island irrigation systems? The rain sensor is a water saving tool that measures the amount of rainfall and will turn your irrigation system clock on or off depending on the dryness level. Some of the older model sensors have a tendency to wear out after several years, and it might be time for an upgrade. We will make sure that your rain sensor is working properly.
Set the irrigation zones based on which areas will need the most nurturing. New plantings can take a couple months to get established and will require the most water and attention. You should also set run times during the early morning hours to allow the water to filtrate down to the roots. If you run the irrigation system during the heat of the day, the water evaporates too quickly.
It’s also important to ensure the zones don’t incorporate different watering styles/devices. For example, there are three main types of devices: stationary heads, rotary heads and drip irrigation. A spray irrigation device distributes water over a confined area such as small turf or beds. Rotary heads are used for large turf areas to disperse water to larger distances. A drip irrigation device delivers water slowly and steadily to the roots of individual plants. There is far less tendency to over water using the drip method. If a zone incorporates more than one watering device, it will result in loss of water.
Be sure to adjust the irrigation cycle if puddling occurs because this typically leads to run off. Allow water to penetrate into the soil before resuming watering.
The Greenery also monitors and advises our residential customers about irrigation policies that are required for their community. For example, the Town of Hilton Head recommends watering no more than twice per week. This generally is enough to sustain the landscape if we are receiving regular showers in our area. During long dry periods you may need more, but there is often a cost. Do you know that Public Service Districts will hit you with a penalty fee if you exceed your usage?
Be sure to adjust the irrigation cycle if puddling occurs because this typically leads to run off. Allow water to penetrate into the soil before resuming watering.
The Greenery also monitors and advises our residential customers about irrigation policies that are required for their community. For example, the Town of Hilton Head recommends watering no more than twice per week. This generally is enough to sustain the landscape if we are receiving regular showers in our area. During long dry periods you may need more, but there is often a cost. Do you know that Public Service Districts will hit you with a penalty fee if you exceed your usage?