Irrigation Guide
Irrigation systems make watering your landscape easier, more efficient, and less time consuming. They are installed in zones (a group of irrigation heads or emitters) that are generally separated into 3 categories: planting bed, seasonal container, and lawn zones. Due to site variations and fluctuating weather conditions, there are no true ‘set it and forget it’ irrigation settings. The times listed below are guidelines and should be adjusted according to your specific landscape needs. Under certain conditions, weekly adjustments may be necessary.
SPRINKLER DEVICES
There are 3 main sprinkler devices that can be used in a sprinkler system.
1. Rotors Heads: shoot a direct stream
2. Spray Heads: spray a fan-like pattern 3.DripLines:saturatesthesoilwithaburiedhose
ZONES & RUN TIMES
Rotor Head Zone: 12 to 30 minutes depending on the amount of shade, soil conditions, and drainage.
Spray Head Zones: 5 to 15 minutes depending on the amount of shade, soil conditions, and drainage.
Drip Line Zones: 30 to 90 minutes depending of the amount of shade, soil conditions, drainage, and the length of the runs.
SEASONAL ADJUSTMENTS
Golden Wolf recommends using the seasonal adjustment feature on the controller to make needed adjustments for the various seasons to avoid both under watering and overwatering plants and lawns. The following recommendations are for established plants - those older than 2 years. Newer plantings require much more frequent watering.
WINTERIZATION
Golden Wolf recommends that irrigation systems get blown out in the fall to remove the majority of the water before temperatures get below freezing. This ensures that the small amount of water that remains has adequate room to expand when it freezes without causing pipes to break. If a system does not get blown out, the remaining water will not have enough room to expand, causing pipes to rupture and leading to costly repairs. If you intend to winterize your irrigation system yourself, use an air compressor set to 50 to 70 psi. Please note: The smaller the air compressor tank size, the longer this process will take.
Systems that are blown out in the fall will need checked and restarted in the spring once temperatures stay above freezing.