It is quiet important that your irrigation / lawn sprinkler system is in good working condition before the start of the spring. When your lawn is watered properly in the spring, less water is actually needed to maintain the healthy lawn through the hotter dryer summer months. A Charlotte Irrigation professional can help you get any of the repairs to your irrigation system completed before the seasons start to change.
The winter is a great time to do any additions or moving of sprinkler heads. The coming spring will allow for, the plant material in the areas affected by the changes, to recover quickly. Charlotte lawn sprinkler repair and installers are prepared to help make wise decisions in making sure you are not wasting water.
The Irrigation Association is a good resource for proper water scheduling. Licensed Charlotte irrigation contractors can provide you with good irrigation scheduling for you controller as well.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Brown Patches on Your Lawn
Every year you aerate, throw down seed, water and fertilize your lawn and the same brown patches appear. How do you get rid of these annoying eyes sores? There are a lot of factors that influence the heath of your lawn. Getting the right nutrients such as sunlight, water, and fertilizer are the most vital. To start, contact a lawn care maintenance professional or Charlotte licensed irrigation contractor. They can asses your yard, test the soil for the right ph, determine if you are over or under watering your yard, and recommend the right fertilization and watering schedule. Most assessments cost about $100 and are well worth the advise.
Of course a Charlotte lawn care professional can tell you exactly what to do to get your yard looking great. But what do you do about the shady areas that just never get enough sunlight? How can they fix that? Most species of grass require about 4 hours of sunlight per day. Many fescue blends are a good option as they are the most resilient to low light levels. Another option is to ask your Charlotte lawn care professional or an arborist to trim your trees to allow more sunlight to get to the lower areas of your landscape. For more information contact a Charlotte lawn care professional today.
Of course a Charlotte lawn care professional can tell you exactly what to do to get your yard looking great. But what do you do about the shady areas that just never get enough sunlight? How can they fix that? Most species of grass require about 4 hours of sunlight per day. Many fescue blends are a good option as they are the most resilient to low light levels. Another option is to ask your Charlotte lawn care professional or an arborist to trim your trees to allow more sunlight to get to the lower areas of your landscape. For more information contact a Charlotte lawn care professional today.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Save on Your Water Bill this Season!
Although we are in the winter months it is never to early to think about saving money. This year, lower your water bill by reducing the amount of water your sprinkler system uses and the amount you pay for your water. Did you know the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department offers ways to save on your water bill through the Water Smart Irrigation Program?
What is the Program?
This program incentivizes irrigation efficiency and water conservation by lowering the rate you pay for your irrigation water usage. When a smart irrigation controller, backflow assembly, and separate irrigation meter are installed and maintained the utility department will charge the Tier 3 irrigation rate.
How will the Program affect my bill?
Most Charlotteans use 8-16 ccf per month which is a bill ranging from $20-45. One ccf is equivalent to 748 gallons of water. Generally, it takes a little over half a gallon per square foot to water your lawn. So if you are looking at a 100' x 100' area that is over 6,000 gallons of water each time you turn on your sprinkler! Take your normal water bill of $20-45 which is a Tier 2 -Tier 3 and add 8ccf to reach the Tier 4 rate of $5.96 per ccf and your bill jumps to about $100 for your everyday use and to water an 100ft area. To put that into perspective, 1/4 acre of land is 10,890 square feet or over 67,000,000 gallons of water!
The Water Smart Irrigation Program allows you to take the water you use for irrigation and rather than using the highest Tier of $5.96 per ccf, you are charged the Tier 3 rate of $3.81 per ccf for use of 1-16ccfs or 11,968 gallons of water. In our scenario above your bill would be lowered from about $100 to $75. Although that that does not seem like a lot of money, most people are watering a much larger area than 100sqft. The average size of a front and back yard in the Charlotte region is 1,500 to 3,000 sqft. Add extra watering during the summer months and your bill could be astronomical.
How do I start?
Now that you know the potential savings, you have to make the initial investment. The Program requires that you install and maintain a smart irrigation controller, backflow assembly, and irrigation meter. The best thing to do is contact a licensed irrigation contractor and have them assess your yard. They can tell you how much water you use, how to program your irrigation controller for the best results, and let you know if your system has any design flaws that are causing over watering. For example, you might be running a water program that uses to much water and is spraying plants that would be healthier on a drip line. After you have the initial assessment (usually ranges at $100-$150), the licensed irrigation contractor can tell you about prices for installing and maintaining the smart controller, back flow assembly, and separate meter.
Bottom Line:
This equipment might not be cheap, but it will save you money in the long run and it is the right thing to do. Water is our most precious resource and we each need to do what we can to preserve it for the long term. Even if you decide the Program is not for you, get an irrigation efficiency audit to preserve the most water possible and make your yard beautiful year round.
What is the Program?
This program incentivizes irrigation efficiency and water conservation by lowering the rate you pay for your irrigation water usage. When a smart irrigation controller, backflow assembly, and separate irrigation meter are installed and maintained the utility department will charge the Tier 3 irrigation rate.
How will the Program affect my bill?
Most Charlotteans use 8-16 ccf per month which is a bill ranging from $20-45. One ccf is equivalent to 748 gallons of water. Generally, it takes a little over half a gallon per square foot to water your lawn. So if you are looking at a 100' x 100' area that is over 6,000 gallons of water each time you turn on your sprinkler! Take your normal water bill of $20-45 which is a Tier 2 -Tier 3 and add 8ccf to reach the Tier 4 rate of $5.96 per ccf and your bill jumps to about $100 for your everyday use and to water an 100ft area. To put that into perspective, 1/4 acre of land is 10,890 square feet or over 67,000,000 gallons of water!
The Water Smart Irrigation Program allows you to take the water you use for irrigation and rather than using the highest Tier of $5.96 per ccf, you are charged the Tier 3 rate of $3.81 per ccf for use of 1-16ccfs or 11,968 gallons of water. In our scenario above your bill would be lowered from about $100 to $75. Although that that does not seem like a lot of money, most people are watering a much larger area than 100sqft. The average size of a front and back yard in the Charlotte region is 1,500 to 3,000 sqft. Add extra watering during the summer months and your bill could be astronomical.
How do I start?
Now that you know the potential savings, you have to make the initial investment. The Program requires that you install and maintain a smart irrigation controller, backflow assembly, and irrigation meter. The best thing to do is contact a licensed irrigation contractor and have them assess your yard. They can tell you how much water you use, how to program your irrigation controller for the best results, and let you know if your system has any design flaws that are causing over watering. For example, you might be running a water program that uses to much water and is spraying plants that would be healthier on a drip line. After you have the initial assessment (usually ranges at $100-$150), the licensed irrigation contractor can tell you about prices for installing and maintaining the smart controller, back flow assembly, and separate meter.
Bottom Line:
This equipment might not be cheap, but it will save you money in the long run and it is the right thing to do. Water is our most precious resource and we each need to do what we can to preserve it for the long term. Even if you decide the Program is not for you, get an irrigation efficiency audit to preserve the most water possible and make your yard beautiful year round.
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