It’s been an unbelievably gorgeous fall in Calgary. Temperatures are still regularly reaching the 20s, even as we make our way through October. There is no denying the warm weather has been wonderful, but in addition to being sunny, it has also been very dry. On average, Calgary sees about 44 millimetres of precipitation in September. This past September we only saw 10.8 millimetres, with just two days of rain. Couple that with above-average temperatures and properties are rather thirsty right now.
Why is it important to water in the fall?
Your shrubs, perennials, and trees need extra-special care in the fall. These types of plants spend the fall looking after their roots after a busy summer of growing, sending fluid downward instead of up. This is why leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off. Hand watering these types of plants is best to direct water right at root systems. Try to reach a depth of two inches, which is easiest if each plant has a well-defined well. The well should collect the water and point it straight to its roots.
For your lawn, continue to keep watering until your grass goes fully dormant. Water every couple of weeks to a depth of two inches to fully soak the crowns of the roots, and wait until it has warmed up a bit in the day to avoid the grass freezing during the cool evenings and mornings. Because the nights are cooler and there aren’t as many warm hours during the days, moisture sticks around longer, so while you do still need to water, you don’t have to water quite as much as during the summer.
You can continue watering until there are regular hard frosts in the morning.
Professional underground irrigation installation
Among the services we provide at Mirage is professional underground irrigation installation. We start by mapping out your property to identify the correct number (and type) of zones required for full coverage and even water application for your lawn and garden beds. We will also identify where the best places for your irrigation boxes are so that they are both unobtrusive and convenient.
Once your zones have been decided upon, then it’s time to drag your pipe. For a long time, only rigid and hard pipes were available that were difficult to lay down, required a lot of digging, and that did not allow for design imagination. Now, flexible pipes are easy to drag underground using special machines that minimize ground disturbance, so much so that once we are finished the job you will hardly notice we were there.
Then we connect the sprinklers to your pipe grid. Once everything is up and running, we will take the time to ensure you fully understand how your irrigation system works for optimal performance. Systems can be set in several ways – you can water daily, every other day, weekly, whatever your property requires. Depending on the weather, you can turn off zones in shady areas when they don’t need extra water and add an extra few minutes to your cycle for those that do. All of this leads to the most minimal use of water necessary to keep your property green, blooming, and healthy, saving a lot of money in the long run.
Already have underground irrigation? Schedule your fall blow-out
If you already have underground irrigation, one of the most important maintenance duties is the fall blow-out. It’s imperative to leave all your pipes and junctions completely devoid of water before the winter to help prevent problems such as burst and cracked pipes. We go by each of our underground irrigation customers’ homes and properties with an air compressor to force all of the water out of your pipes in order to make sure it doesn’t freeze during the winter. When water freezes it expands, and can often cause weakening and damage to pipes. When you start your irrigation up again in the fall, that damage can become a major problem, with pipes even completely bursting and causing a mucky mess. You may not notice a smaller crack in a pipe right away, at least until enough moisture has built up underground to create soaked and sunken patches, and by then you have wasted a lot of water.
Contact Mirage to talk about underground irrigation installation
Professional underground irrigation installers such as us at Mirage should be able to provide or refer their clients to a reputable company for blow-out and repair services so you will always have someone to assist you in keeping your underground irrigation in good repair. We 100% guarantee our work. Contact us to learn more.