Irrigation & Water Restrictions
Saint John's Water Management Regulations
Water two days a week: Odd number houses, (Wednesday & Saturday), even number houses (Thursday & Sunday) before 10:00am or after 4:00pm.
During daylight savings times November through March, water once a week only.
Watering in the A.M. is preferred to prevent water evaporation and some diseases. You must have a minimum of 1.5 inches of water on your property per week. But remember that a heavy and fast downpour of rain does not add much moisture to the soil. If the system runs twice a week, you must get 3/4 inches each time the system is run. Unless you get rainfall that equals this amount, if you have a rain sensor, set it to 3/4 inch, so the system will shut down when you have adequate rain accumulation. Florida Law states that "every irrigation system must have a rain sensor." If it is set up and working correctly, it will prevent many issues. The most significant advantage is those who manually turn a system off when it is raining do not have to remember to turn it back on. This "I forgot" can lead to severe property damage and even death of plant material and turf. We recommend purchasing a rain gauge if you do not have a sensor. Place the indicator in an area you frequent often, so when you receive 3/4 of an inch of rain, you can manually shut down your system or skip a watering.
Estimated Run Times
Pop Up Heads (heads that do not turn, or stay in one place): Water 20-30 minutes.
Rotor Heads (heads that turn and water larger areas): Water 45-55 minutes.
These are standard times and offer a starting point for calibrating your system. You also need to account for seasonal rain, heat, and soil type. Areas in direct sunlight will require more water and are more likely to have what we call HOT SPOTS, or areas that just cannot retain enough moisture. Shaded and lakeside properties will retain water longer, zone run times may vary and you should adjust accordingly.
Calibration
Calibration is a critical aspect of irrigation systems. By calibrating your own irrigation system it will allow you to know exactly how long each zone needs to run to achieve you target volume. Collect some tuna or cat food cans, measure and mark 3/4 to 1 inch of water on the cans. Place the cans throughout the property. Run the system over night. After the system has ran inspect the containers to see how much water your system applied. Adjust the run time accordingly to get 3/4 inch every time your system runs.We also offer our customers measuring cups that have a steam so they are held firmly in the ground. If you wish to use these cups just call out office (407)-737-1889 and your technician will bring you a pack that includes instructions.
After you calibrate your system, look for results over a period of two weeks. You might find dry spots in a zone that needs attention. Make sure you are getting good overlap water spray; all heads are turning and plants are not blocking any heads. This will take time, but the end result is well worth it!
Deep Watering Benefits
Deep watering (getting soil wet 6-8 inches deep and watering less frequently) is also preferred to shallow watering for less time, only wetting the surface soil.
You will find seasonal recommendations for how much and how often to water based on the water conditions at that time in each of our seasonal newsletters.