With winter just around the corner in Australia, you might be wondering what you should do to keep your lawn healthy and green. Making sure that your lawn is watered correctly is important, but that begs the question: How long should it take to water your lawn in Perth? Here’s a general guide to help you know how long you need to run the sprinkler systems in your garden!
How Long Should It Take to Run Sprinklers in the Garden?
This depends on several factors: the sprinkler types, the season you’re in, and whether the lawn is established or not. As a general rule, you should turn off your sprinklers when it’s raining since too much water may cause the grass to rot. However, keep in mind that sometimes this may not be always the case.
If you’re dealing with a new lawn, you should note that their watering needs are different from established lawns. For new lawns, it usually takes at least 12 months before it grows a root system that is deep enough to achieve maximum drought tolerance. You should apply for a watering exemption and obtain a Certificate of Exemption from the Water Corporation if you will be taking care of a new lawn.
The following schedule is recommended for new lawns:
| October 1 to March 31 (Hot Weather) | April 1 to September 30 (Mild Weather) |
| Days 1-10:
Amount: 3.5 mm Frequency: Thrice a day Time: Before 9 AM, 12 NN, and at 3 PM |
Days 1-14:
Amount: 4 mm Frequency: Twice daily Time: Before 9 AM and at 2 PM |
| Days 11-20:
Amount: 5 mm Frequency: Twice daily Time: 9 AM and 3 PM |
Days 15-28:
Amount: 7.5 mm Frequency: Once daily Time: Before 9 AM |
| Days 21-28:
Amount: 10 mm Frequency: Once a day Time: Before 9 AM |
Days 29-35:
Amount: 7.5 mm Frequency: Every other day Time: Before 9 AM |
| Days 29-42:
Amount: 10 mm Frequency: Every other day Time: Before 9 AM |
Note that schedule may only be followed once you have been given a watering exemption. Also note that for new lawns, the retic may still be a bit more difficult to use when watering, so there will be times that you will need to hand water some areas.
How Long Should Sprinklers Run In Each Zone?
Each sprinkler system has a different recommendation. Consider the different reticulation systems being used in Perth when determining how long each sprinkler would run. In general, however, these are recommended sprinkler run times:
Pop up/fixed spray sprinklers
Pop up or fixed spray sprinklers are the traditional sprinklers which provide water coverage across the lawn. An important thing to remember when placing these sprinklers is that they must be placed in areas just right so that they create an overlap. This sprinkler system goes back into the ground once it finishes watering an area.
The recommended sprinkler run time for this is 13-16 minutes, with a reduced run time of 10 minutes if you are trying to conserve water. The typical hourly watering rate for pop up sprinklers is 35-45 mm.
Rotary sprinklers
Rotary sprinklers are ideal for exposed lawns and garden areas because of their rotational streams. This kind of sprinkler system is also relatively easy to fix, as you can visibly see if there would be any blockage. The recommended sprinkler run time for rotary sprinklers is 40-60 minutes, with a reduced run time of 30-40 minutes for those trying to conserve water. The typical watering rate per hour is 10-15 mm.
Gear Drive Rotator
Gear drive rotators release a single slow stream of water that moves in arch that covers large spaces, making them ideal for large home gardens and lawns. The stream released is around 6-11 meters. Note that this sprinkler system requires a 100% overlap to provide even coverage. This sprinkler system requires high pressure. The typical hourly watering rate is 10-20 mm, with a recommended run time of 30-40 minutes. If you are trying to reduce water use, then this can be reduced to 25-30 minutes.
Dripline sprinklers
Located under lawns and garden beds, dripline sprinklers provide water to the area which needs it most: the root system. Dripline sprinklers are perfect for lawns and gardens in warmer climates. As dripline sprinklers are a little more complicated, they should be installed by professional irrigators as well. The typical watering rate for dripline sprinklers is 15-20 mm, with a recommended run time of 30-40 minutes. However, you may reduce this to 20-30 minutes for conserved water usage.
Importance of Watering Your Lawn in Summer
It’s not uncommon for property owners to think that lawns are more resilient and require less care since they’re placed in high foot traffic areas. But, if your lawn can talk, it will tell you that it needs more care than you think, especially during the warm season. In fact, it will probably tell you the amounts of water it needs and how often it needs it to help you get it right. But since your lawn can’t talk, we’ll just let you know why watering your lawn property is important and how you can do it.
It Helps Maintain Lushness and Colour
You can easily tell the state of health of a lawn by how lush and vibrant its colour is. If your lawn is receiving sufficient water, it will look vibrant with the leaves having a certain glossiness or glow that signifies hydration even at the deep roots level. Regular maintenance and proper fertilization are also important, but a lot of these factors work hand in hand with watering, which makes it a crucial step in ensuring that your turf stays green and full during growth season.
It Combats Lawn Dehydration
Certain weather conditions will affect your capability to keep your lawn hydrated. The rule of thumb is that the hotter it is, the more you need to be cautious about the time to water and the lawn types involved. Some grass types have water restrictions that need to be followed diligently, while others are more resilient. Some types flourish more when you water at night while others grow better if you water in the mornings. Not following these requirements could lead to dehydration which ultimately cause death to your lawn, so make sure you practice due diligence when watering, more so during the hot weather.
Prevents Lawn Disease
If you think overwatering your lawn means they get water reserves, then you’re wrong. Overwatering can actually lead to different kinds of diseases. Not only will the water drown the grass and its roots leading to rotting, it will also leave your lawn with a compromised immune system. What you can do is use a wetting agent so you don’t misjudge how much water your lawn can absorb. You can also just have an irrigation system installed from trusted companies like Green Oasis. Remember that to maintain a healthy lawn, you need to be precise in its care. In general, it is safer to underwater your lawn compared to overwatering it.
Helps You Conserve Water
We all know that your general water consumption goes high during the summer. You take more baths and water your plants more. But by being precise in watering your lawn (volume, time, frequency) you leave very little space for losses and wasted water. You use only what resources are necessary to keep your lawn in a healthy state.
We understand if all these steps may be too overwhelming for property owners such as yourself. If you don’t think you can do this on your own and keep at it for years on end, then you should consider getting professional help from lawn watering and general care experts. This way, you limit the risks of harming instead of helping your beautiful lawn.
Watering Your Lawn
Optimizing your sprinkler systems for watering your lawn is important to make sure that your lawns remain healthy and green all throughout the seasons. Check out your sprinkler systems before anything else, and proceed as needed. If you have problems or if you’re having some difficulty with your sprinkler systems, Green Oasis Lawn and Reticulation can help you with your retic problems. Contact us to get some clarifications and more lawn care tips!
