We all know about the benefits a garden irrigation system brings during our increasingly hot, dry summers.  Climate change means average temperatures in the UK are rising year-on-year, with more prolonged dry periods in the summer.   Irrigation systems become especially useful when no rain falls for a long period – this seems obvious.  However, this is England – unexpected rain will fall!  You may not have realised that irrigation still helps in wet summers.

If the summer is comparatively wet, what’s the point of an irrigation system?  I can almost hear you asking!  We’ll explain below, but first let’s talk about what garden irrigation actually does.

What does an irrigation system do?

Have you thought about the point of an irrigation system?  Yes, it waters your plants automatically without you having to put in the manual labour.  But think about the other benefits.

A garden irrigation system is divided into zones.  Each zone gets set up differently, for watering different types of planting.  An electronic controller switches each zone on and off at the programmed times, so every plant gets exactly the water it needs.  It’s not just the effort of watering that is removed, it’s the having to remember when and how much water is needed for different plants.  No physical labour, and no mental effort.

If the summer is wet, surely I don’t need irrigation?

Now let’s look at why the weather is irrelevant.  Even in a comparatively wet summer, it doesn’t rain every day, and when it does rain, it may be only enough to dampen the top of the soil.  Your irrigation system has sensors that keep it switched off during ‘on’ periods if – and only if – the ground is wet enough already for that particular zone of planting.  In other words, if there has been an hour long downpour a short time before it’s due to start watering, your irrigation system stays switched off, but a light drizzle won’t affect it.  Likewise, if there has been so much rain the day before that the ground remains soaked, the irrigation won’t kick in.

An irrigation system in your garden will never result in the plants getting ‘double-watered’.  If there has been enough rain, it simply stays off, without you having to do a thing.  Likewise, if there has been some rain but not enough, it switches on.

Whatever the weather, your Rosewood irrigation system will keep your plants healthy and thriving!