Florida Waterwise Landscapes - Alliance for Water Efficiency
Florida Waterwise Landscapes - Alliance for Water Efficiency
Florida Waterwise Landscapes - Alliance for Water Efficiency
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5. Irrigate Efficiently<br />
The major oasis area in most yards is the grass.<br />
In some <strong>Florida</strong> locations, rainfall may be adequate<br />
<strong>for</strong> turf, but some supplemental water may<br />
be required.<br />
If an irrigation system is needed, manual<br />
methods may be the most thrifty. If the landscape is<br />
planted with species suited to existing conditions,<br />
little or no irrigation will be needed once the<br />
landscape is established, so an automatic system isn’t<br />
necessary. For occasional, manual irrigation of grass<br />
areas, a rain gauge is a valuable tool. It can tell you<br />
how much rain has occurred and can be used to<br />
measure the needed 1/2 to 3/4 inch recommended<br />
<strong>for</strong> grass areas.<br />
Inground irrigation systems are convenient, but<br />
often waste water. While the goal of these systems is<br />
to uni<strong>for</strong>mly and efficiently irrigate lawns, some may<br />
be used to overwater.<br />
<strong>Florida</strong> law requires an automatic rain sensor<br />
shut-off device that is properly installed and<br />
functioning on all automatic irrigation systems<br />
installed after May 1, 1991 (section 373.62, FS). The<br />
rain sensor overrides the irrigation system settings<br />
when there has been sufficient rain. Some local laws<br />
also require older systems to be retrofitted with<br />
shut-off switches.<br />
In addition to having a properly functioning<br />
irrigation system, the system’s efficiency will depend<br />
on you having the correct spray-head types <strong>for</strong> the<br />
various zones to be irrigated and how your landscape<br />
has been planted.<br />
For example, turf areas and planting beds should<br />
be separated into different irrigation zones because<br />
they have different moisture needs.<br />
Select the emitter head that will deliver water to<br />
the plant roots as efficiently as possible. For planting<br />
beds, microirrigation system emitters deliver water<br />
directly to the plant. Microirrigation types include<br />
“drip,” “trickle,” “microsprays” and “bubblers.”<br />
Microsprays or microjets are often used in<br />
14<br />
shrubbery or on groundcovers. Bubblers are<br />
normally used on trees or large shrubs.<br />
Within a zone, all the heads should have the same<br />
precipitation rate — the rate at which an irrigation<br />
head delivers water — in order to have even<br />
distribution within the zone.<br />
Microirrigation delivers water at rates of 60<br />
gallons per hour (gph) or less. Usually, bubblers emit<br />
1 gph and a single-drip emitter, 2 gph. For drip line,<br />
45 gph per foot of line is delivered and up to 60 gph<br />
<strong>for</strong> microsprays. High volume heads are rated at<br />
60 gph or more.<br />
Irrigation System Installation<br />
If installing an<br />
inground automatic<br />
irrigation system,<br />
follow these guidelines<br />
to optimize the<br />
system’s efficiency:<br />
1. Properly install automatic rain sensor shut-off<br />
device and check regularly to ensure it is<br />
functioning properly.<br />
2. Install a back-flow valve.<br />
3. Separate zones <strong>for</strong> turf and non-turf areas.<br />
4. Match precipitation rates on all heads within<br />
a zone (e.g., rotors and spray heads on<br />
separate zones).<br />
5. Choose each device based on what will most<br />
efficiently water each group of plants.<br />
6. Use pressure-regulated valve heads.<br />
7. Use rotors in turf areas, spaced <strong>for</strong><br />
“head-to-head” coverage.<br />
8. Check valves on rotors and sprays in<br />
low-lying areas.<br />
9. Verify that the system design meets state<br />
specifications <strong>for</strong> landscape irrigation installation<br />
as found in <strong>Florida</strong> Building Code, Appendix F.<br />
10. Schedule appropriate irrigation that supplements<br />
rainfall to no more than 1.5 inches of water per<br />
week <strong>for</strong> turf areas, and less in planting beds, in<br />
the spring. <strong>Water</strong> less during the other seasons.<br />
11. Conduct regular inspection and maintenance to<br />
detect leaks, clean filters and realign or replace<br />
rotors and spray heads, as needed.