Owning a large property is a hassle in and of itself, but when it comes time to keep the grass of that property healthy and green, it can feel like fighting an uphill battle. It’ll always feel like the sun is hitting it harder, like the grass is drying faster than you can keep up with it and that the foot traffic is just unmanageable.
This is especially true on Long Island where golf courses and wineries are abundant. So what can you do to make your life watering a bigger property easier?
Water more:
Even though this seems like a no brainer, you would be surprised how many people don’t put it together that having more square footage on a property is going to require more gallons of water used for irrigation, as well as more frequent watering.
While it may take a while to figure out the perfect formula on exactly what you need to keep your grass green, aim to use more water than you think you need at first (then adjust for overwatering if noticed) and aim to water the property in full at least two times per week.
Be efficient:
Aside from being sure not to overwater, there’s a number of things you can do to be more efficient when watering your property.
Modern tech has made this easier than ever.
A wi-fi equipped irrigation system can monitor the weather and change your property’s watering schedule so that you never end up overwatering by either forgetting to turn off your sprinklers, or using a ton of water right before (or even during) rain.
And even though it, again, may seem like a no brainer, regular maintenance is the best water and cost efficient proactive measure. Even a single small leak in your pipes can result in a waste of dozens of gallons of water per day and when your amplify that figure by the size of your property, the amount of wasted water can be shockingly large.
Cut costs where you can:
On the other side of being efficient, it’s important to cut costs where you can. Since you’re going to be working with a larger property, the costs of irrigation are going to be proportional. This isn’t to say that it’s better to be cheap, just that there’s much you can do to save money and make sure it’s properly allocated to things like irrigation system maintenance and quality of life upgrades.
For example, many larger properties have built storm water retention systems into their landscapes. These fixtures will collect excess water that comes during a rainy day to then be used as irrigation water for your grass.
The best part is that they don’t have to be unsightly mechanisms, some golf courses have been known to work water retention ponds that collect run-off and parking lot puddles and then pump that water into their course’s irrigation.
And of course, none of this is possible without a professionally installed and maintained irrigation system that keeps your grass healthy year-round.