As a Bradenton landscaping company, we work on irrigation design and installation.
You probably don’t give a lot of thought to how a sprinkler system is laid out. After all, in Bradenton, home irrigation systems are everywhere. They pop up, they spray for a while, they go away again. At this point, most people hardly notice.
The thing is, though, that installing an irrigation system for a home or business involves a lot more than just digging a trench and sticking some pipes in the ground. To do it right requires a lot of landscaping knowledge and planning. And if it’s not done right, it could cost you a lot of money or kill your plants—or both.
At Big South, a locally owned landscaping company in Bradenton, irrigation design and installation is one of our primary services. This is what we do! And we take pride in doing it right.
Here’s what that takes.
Site Inspection
First thing’s first, we have to know what we’re watering. Irrigation needs boil down to a number of factors, including the types of plants, the types of soil, the amount of sun, elevation changes, and more. Bradenton landscaping, as you know, goes through a yearly cycle from the cooler dry winters to the extremely rainy summers.
We have to take all of these variables into account in order to design a system that will actually keep your yard healthy.
System Design
This is the biggie, and there’s a lot of thought that goes into it. First of all, we have to know what heads to put where. And to make that decision, we have to understand water pressure and how far each head will spray, and in what direction. With the right layout, one sprinkler’s reach will end where the next one picks up—no overlap, no gaps, and definitely no watering the sidewalk.
But that’s not all. Irrigation systems are divided into “zones,” which allow you to water different parts of your property at different times, or for different lengths of time. (This is helpful for taking care of areas that get more sun, or plants with larger water demands.)
One of the most common mistakes we see with irrigation design is overloading zones. You can’t just take a big chunk of your property and put it all on one zone. It’s like trying to take a shower while the dishwasher, washing machine, and sink are all running at once. You lose your water pressure. Same thing happens when you overload an irrigation zone.
Installation
As you can see, we’ve already done a lot of work well before we ever put a shovel in the ground. But when we get to the real hands-on work, we’re putting just as much thought and care into it. After all, we’re not trying to wreck your yard; we want to see it flourish! And that means precise trenches at just the right depth and only wide enough to put the pipe in. The sooner your yard is back to looking like nothing happened, the better.
It’s also important that the sprinkler heads themselves are installed at the right depth. Too deep and they won’t spray properly, plus they’ll quickly become overgrown or stuck; too shallow and they’ll get chopped up by the mower (plus they’ll be a tripping hazard).
And finally, your irrigation system doesn’t just involve plumbing, it also involves electricity. We need to ensure that your control panel is properly powered and programmed so that your interface is as easy as possible to navigate.
Review
Of course, we don’t leave your property until you understand everything you’re dealing with. We make sure you know how your system is programed and how to change it as needed. Fortunately, today’s systems are highly automated, so if you like, we can leave you with an irrigation system that’s already ready to run on its own timer.
Irrigation Maintenance and Repair
For Big South Lawn and Landscape, there’s no such thing as a “one-time client.” We’re always around if you need someone to check on your system, tweak your programming, or make repairs.
Even though we’re in the subtropics, Bradenton landscaping needs regular watering and overall landscape care to stay healthy and lush. Your local Bradenton landscaping company is here to help. Give us a call or send Brice and email today!
