Sprinklers save water, beautify lawn

Installing an automatic watering kit yourself will decrease yourwater bills, save time and produce healthy, attractive lawns andgardens.

Nine out of 10 people overwater. This retards plant growth bycausing the fine root hairs to die and excessively cools soil. Italso blocks air, killing tiny "good" insects. Automatic wateringkits help fine tune watering for specific climates.

First, determine your soil type and plan the automatic wateringpattern. In sandy soil, water soaks in quickly, forming acarrot-shaped moist area under the water source. In clay soil, itsoaks in slowly, forming a flat shape. In good loam soil, it formsa bulb pattern.Check your soil type by mixing it with water in a glass jar.Within two minutes, sand settles to the bottom. Silt will settle ontop of the sand within two hours. Clay settles overnight. The ratiodetermines the type of soil.The two automatic watering methods are drip and sprinklers.Automatic drip watering is more efficient and is ideal for gardensand landscaped areas. Automatic sprinklers are good for large openlawn areas.The heart of any watering system is a water-saving automaticelectronic controller. It controls the area to be watered, time andwater amount.You can purchase complete drip watering kits or assemble yourown system from simple components. Some tiny drippers (emitters)cost less than $1 each. Multiple drippers and mini-sprayers costjust a couple of dollars. The quantity of each component neededdepends on landscaping.Small water lines are laid flat and may be covered with mulch.Dripper outlet spacing and water flow varies with type of emitters.As a rule of thumb, figure 625 gallons of water provides 1 inch ofwater over a 1,000-square-foot area.There are many designs of fixed-pattern and rotating sprinklersavailable. For the most quiet operation, select a gear-driven rotarydesign instead of an older, impact-rotary design.Update Bulletin No. 532 lists manufacturers of automatic dripand sprinkler kits and timers, prices, a recommended wateringschedule, soil chart and a typical yard watering layout. Send $2 anda business-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: James Dulley,6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. Or instant download:www.dulley.comJames Dulley is an engineer and writer based in Cincinnati.