As we emerge from the Winter season, we are all ready to burst into Spring and begin enjoying some warmer conditions. The winter rain has encouraged the plants in the garden to grow and lawn to become greener but as we head towards Summer, we can expect rainfall to decrease – increasing our reliance on a home irrigation and sprinkler systems.
To make sure your home garden is thriving before we hit the peak of summer, there are steps you can take to check
your reticulation system is maintained and repair any problems that you find.
With the winter sprinkler ban behind us the first step is to switch the reticulation back on after its long hibernation.
There are many common issues that you may experience when attempting to switch on reticulation systems. These include:
- Broken or leaking PVC and poly pipe fittings
- Broken or clogged sprinklers; or pop up sprinkler is jammed
- Faulty retic controllers
- Low water pressure
- Zones not working
It’s not always easy to find the source of the problem so we recommend –
- Switch on your reticulation system and carry out a test cycle
- Visually check all sprinkler heads are working
- Check timer on controller is working and program system to operate for your nominated watering days.
Don’t know your watering days in Perth? You can find them at watercorporation.com.au but;
- Sprinklers can only be used between 6pm and 9am on your watering days
- Remember to only water once on your watering days
- Watering in the morning is best – water soaks into the roots and is available throughout the day
- Remember to switch off your sprinklers when rain is forecast
Also remember that you can water on additional days to the above, but only by hand/hose. In the peak of the Western Australia Summer, on those long hot weeks, this can be needed to keep gardens alive.
Spring is also the perfect time to mulch and fertilise your gardens. Mulching is one of the most beneficial things a homeowner can do for the health of their garden. Mulched gardens are healthier, have fewer weeds, and are more drought-resistant than unmulched gardens. It will allow you to spend less time watering, weeding, and fighting pest problems. We also recommend adding wetting agents to soil to help retain moisture to reduce water costs associated with irrigating your home garden
If you find a problem with your irrigation system, visit our Store Locator to find an irrigation supplies store nearby. Otherwise book a service online and an experienced reticulation technician will test, diagnose and repair any broken irrigation components.
