Irrigation systems really sell themselves, especially for Houston commercial properties. Commercial irrigation systems provide both convenience and peace of mind. Just as important, they help maintain the health of your commercial landscaping, whether we’re in drought conditions or it’s the time of year for Houston’s infamous monsoon rains.

Sprinkler systems help control the correct amount of water to the appropriate plant material. They allow your landscape design to be separated by zones into grass, beds and color areas that have different water needs due to varying plant materials and sunlight conditions.

Additionally, today’s commercial irrigation systems use technology that let you set an automatic schedule for your property while still allowing you the option to switch to manual for the unexpected events.

The anatomy of an irrigation system contains a combination of heads and controller technology that can be used to create a site-specific system for your commercial property.

For instance, rotors are water heads that work well in large grassy areas. Rotor describes the various sprinklers that operate by rotating streams of water back and forth over the landscape.

Pop-up spray heads were designed for smaller spaces such as landscape beds. These small heads usually produce a fan-shaped pattern of water.

Drip irrigation and bubblers work well for pots, planters, urns, trees and flower beds.

Controllers are quite sophisticated these days and come with various programs. Rain sensors and water delay features prevent over-watering of your plant material during times of natural rain.

In the pre-planning phase, head spacing within an irrigation system is crucial for proper watering coverage. The calculation and specific measuring of head locations are important steps in providing even coverage.

Most systems are divided into circuits, each with its own control valve, which is operated by an electronic controller that turns each circuit on and off according to the schedule you desire. The key equation of quality commercial irrigation systems goes like this: good coverage and plenty of valves equal the control that benefits your landscape the best.

When installing an irrigation system, plans and permits are required by some cities. As with all digging, it is important to call for utility line locations first. If you want to install an irrigation system in an established lawn, trenches should be hand-dug so as not to disturb any lines and wiring, including landscape lighting wiring.

If you’re in the building phase, a tree preservation plan may include a temporary irrigation system to water the trees during construction, which sometimes can last a few years. Hand-digging around trees to minimize damage to them and their root systems is a very important part of tree preservation.

Ongoing maintenance is the last critical aspect of an irrigation system. These systems require regular care, such as the replacement of broken heads and stuck valves and the setting of different start times. Before working with any contractor, it is advisable to understand what kind of commercial landscape maintenance service they offer after the installation.

Bottom line, commercial irrigation systems save water, time, energy and money.