Press & Articles

June / July Newsletter

Water worries? Relax!

Water is stillin the news. With cutbacks, rationing and rate hikes, all the news we hear or read about is bad news. While the water situation is not something you want to ignore, it is something that can be dealt with and even embraced. I say yes! You can have your lawn and beautiful garden and still conserve 25% or more.

Brown lawns and wilting flowers are becoming more and more prevalent. If you read the paper or listen to the news, that is the message that is being sent. The word conserve is used without real meaning or direction. If you knew how to conserve water and still keep your lawn green and your garden healthy, wouldn’t you?

Weather based irrigation controllers / timers (smart controllers) have been out for a few years now. As with most new technologies, weather based irrigation controllers were expensive and difficult to set up and understand. Today, there are many affordable options that are easy to program. You may already have a controller such as a Hunter ProC that can be upgraded with an addition of an onsite weather station. Sound expensive? The Solar Sync retails for only $129.00. To upgrade your entire system with a weather based controller you should expect to spend $350.00 to $600.00 in equipment. Most water agencies offer rebates that will offset equipment costs and sometimes cover the entire equipment cost.

The heart of weather based irrigation is an onsite weather station that monitors solar radiation, temperature, and rain daily. This information automatically adjusts run times on a daily basis resulting in a savings of about 20% to 25% or more of landscape water use over conventional controllers / timers. Weather based irrigation controllers are more user friendly than conventional controllers because the weather station makes the adjustments for you.

Now that you upgraded to a weather based irrigation controller, there are many other ways to make your landscape even more water efficient.

Let's move on to your lawn. If you are letting it go brown, stop! You must stop for two reasons. The first is you can have a healthy green lawn and save water. The second is to qualify for a grass for cash rebate, your lawn has to be green. If you have spray nozzles, which the majority of homeowners do, switching to a Hunter MP Rotator nozzle will save quite a bit of water. Spray heads are terribly inefficient and apply too much water too fast resulting in a lot of run off and waste. Spray heads also create a lot of mist that does nothing to water your lawn. The MP Rotator has a much lower precipitation rate and is much more efficient with the water that is applied. This upgrade to your lawn irrigation is a must if you have spray heads and most water agencies have rebates in place to cover some of the equipment costs.

Drip irrigation, you either love it or you hate it. If installed properly, drip irrigation is incredibly efficient, durable and easy to maintain. Drip irrigation is also the most effective way to get water directly were the plants need it the most, the roots. If you can, try to stay away from spray heads. Often times, the water from the spray heads waters everything else but what you intended to water. If you have had bad experiences with drip irrigation, give Sweetwater a call. It's well worth saving your shrubs and garden.

With landscape water use accounting for 50% to 75% of the average homes water use, it is the area we can save the most water and it's fairly easy to do so.

The day is today and the time is now, the technology and principles are here and very affordable.

We all want to do our part and it is very easy to get started. Call Sweetwater Landscape today for your free on-site irrigation consultation. Mention this article or our newsletter and receive 10% off equipment.

Sweetwater Landscape is a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL), a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) and a Certified Aquascape Contractor (CAC). Sweetwater Landscape specializes in water efficient irrigation, naturally balanced low-maintenance water features, landscapes and rainwater harvesting. Sweetwater Landscape's mission is to build your paradise while fueling our passion for creativity and fulfilling our clients' dreams. Sweeetwater Landscape was proud to be a part of Disney's Epcot® International Flower & Garden Show in 2007 and in July 2008 participated in the words "Most Extreme Pond Build" in St. Charles Ill.  Sweetwater Landscape was also awarded most creative waterfall July 2007, competing against twenty other national teams in St. Charles Ill. Sweetwater Landscape has also given many seminars on rainwater harvesting as well as water saving irrigation and teaches classes on the construction of Ponds and Waterfalls.