If you recently had a sprinkler system installed, you now have the tools to more adequately control how much water you use on your land and landscaping. Here are three different ways you can ensure that you are using your water as effectively as possible with your new sprinkler system.

#1 Set Up Different Irrigation Zones

As you put your yard on a watering schedule, you are going to want to divide your yard into different zones. These different zones should represent the different watering needs of your yard and landscaping around your home. For example, your front yard that gets hits with sun all day may need to be watered every day when it is really hot outside, but your backyard that is primarily in the shade may only need to be watered every three days or so. Your trees and shrubs may also not need to be watered as frequently as your yard does. Dividing everything into zones is a great way to ensure that you don't over- or under-water any area of your yard.

#2 Measure The Amount Of Water That Is Released

Second, you need to measure the amount of water that is released by your sprinkler system. For your yard and your landscaping, you ideally want at least an inch or two of water released when the sprinklers are running. This will allow you to water deep, which means that you water long enough for the water to soak a couple of inches into the ground. This will ensure that grass and plants develop deep roots which will allow them to survive and thrive better. If you find that too little water is being released to be effective, you may need to increase the length of time that you water or decrease the amount of time if you are over-saturating areas with water.

You can figure out how much you are watering by placing measuring cups around your lawn to see how much water is being released when you run your sprinkler systems in each zone.

#3 Watch When You Water

Finally, it is generally best to water early in the day, right when the sun is just starting to think about coming out, till right before midday. During the earlier hours of the day, the sun will evaporate less of the water from your sprinklers, making your use of water more effective. Generally less wind and lower temperatures will also increase the amount of water that goes into the ground. Try to avoid watering at night, which creates ideal conditions for fungus to grow.

Reduce the water that your new sprinkler system uses by setting up different watering zones based on the water needs of the plants in that area, watering deep instead of frequently, and watering in the morning. Taking these three steps will get rid of unnecessary water usage and waste. To learn more, contact a company like Arbor Landscape and Sprinklers.