Does Your Landscape Need an Irrigation System?

Dry, stressed, or patchy turf during the hotter months, planting beds that need frequent hand-watering to stay healthy, and new landscaping that requires consistent moisture to establish are all common reasons homeowners install irrigation.

Newly installed plants and sod are more vulnerable to inconsistent watering than an established landscape. If you are planning a larger landscape transformation, see How to Plan a Landscape Transformation for how irrigation fits into the sequencing of a larger project.

Smaller gardens, properties with naturally consistent rainfall and good soil moisture retention, or homeowners who do not mind manual watering may not see enough benefit to justify a full irrigation system. Drip irrigation for specific beds, as opposed to a whole-property system, can also be a more targeted and affordable option.

Irrigation solves the problem of not enough water reaching your landscape; drainage solves the opposite problem of too much water collecting where it shouldn't. Some properties need one, the other, or both — see Signs Your Property Has a Drainage Problem if standing water or soggy areas are also a concern.