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When you’re excitedly planning your beautiful outdoor space, irrigation doesn’t often come to mind. But a proper landscape irrigation design should absolutely be part of your landscape design. Here in northern Nevada, we can’t rely on Mother Nature to properly water our outdoor spaces. Your irrigation system is a sort of insurance policy that will help sustain your outdoor space, and best practices will help ensure you’re watering responsibly in our high desert climate.

Understanding The Irrigation System’s Role

A big percentage of plants—about 80%—do most of their growing between March and about mid June. If there isn’t enough precipitation as plants come out of dormancy and channel all that stored energy into growth, they can’t thrive. Of course, there’s a balance to strike here. Turn on irrigation too early, and freeze-thaw cycles could damage pipes as the water freezes overnight. Turn them on too late, and your plants may suffer.

Here at Harris Landscape Construction, our team offers irrigation turn-off and turn-on services, something we’re already begun for many customers. If you’re tackling this on your own, here are a few helpful tips for your watering schedule:

• Timing. Morning is the best time to water for two reasons. First, it’s when plant root systems take up water most efficiently. Second, it reduces the risk of evaporation, something that’s more likely when the hot summer sun is beating down. Nighttime watering can also be effective, but only if the plants being watered aren’t susceptible to fungal diseases. Ideally, your plantings are grouped based on their soil, sunlight, shade and moisture needs.
• Amount. The best approach to watering is to do it deeply and infrequently. That means a thorough soak and then sufficient time for the soil to dry out in the top several inches. It’s the best way to stimulate deep root growth for plants that are hardy and self sufficient.
• Method. Overhead spray and drip and the two basic types of irrigation. The drip method is incredibly efficient because it eliminates wasted water and loss to evaporation. It’s a great option for most shrubs, trees and planting beds. Lawns, meanwhile, benefit from overhead spray.

Plants types with varying moisture needs, compacted soil, uneven terrain and small areas can lead to special considerations for the most effective irrigation. For example, you may need to consider a combination of high and low-pressure nozzles, differing cycles, adjustments to flow rates or sensors. Fortunately, today’s smart irrigation systems accommodate all kinds of site and weather conditions. If you’re ready to upgrade your landscape irrigation or you’re planning an entire outdoor space upgrade, we’d love to talk through your options. The experts at Harris Landscape Construction here in Reno and Sparks can answer all of your questions and help you create an irrigation plan that will help your garden thrive. Contact us today to get started.