What is Overhead Irrigation?
When we say ‘overhead’ irrigation, it refers to any system or cultural practice that describes irrigating from above. Most commonly, this term refers to sprinklers. Sprinklers spray water over a broad area for uniform coverage. There’s a large variety of sprinklers that are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
Head-to-Head Coverage
Irrigation systems can be customized and programmed on timers to water your garden. When designing your system, ensure you have head-to-head coverage – meaning the water from one sprinkler should reach the head of the next sprinkler, so there is an overlap between the sprays.
The most common sprinklers:
- spray head
- rotary head
- impact sprinklers
All of these heads are ideal for different scenarios:
- Spray heads are great for smaller areas
- Rotary heads are better for larger areas
Setting up a Sprinkler System
Additionally, you absolutely must match the sprinkler precipitation rates.
Meaning: the number of gallons per minute or hour of your selected system should be identical throughout the system
Learn how to calibrate your sprinkler system.
What to Know
- Never mix rotor heads with spray heads, since they will never have matching precipitation rates.
- Irrigation systems will also need regular maintenance.
- Do not ‘set and forget’ your irrigation system. It will cause problems in your landscape in the long run.
- Do a “wet check”. Turn on the system and look for the direction of the sprinkler’s spray. Ideally, the spray should be aimed toward the lawn, landscape, and/or garden.
- Look for leaks, clogged nozzles and filters, broken or worn heads, and grass growing over the sprinkler preventing it from popping up.
Calibrate your System
If you have not calibrated your system this year, make sure you set the system to run each zone once. Read this publication to find out how you can calibrate your system. It’s a simple and extremely important step for efficient irrigation. These systems require proper installation and maintenance to remain functional and efficient.
Read the next part! Ways to Water: Efficient Overhead Irrigation – UF/IFAS Extension Pasco County
Conclusion
By being mindful of how we use water in our gardens and on our lawns, we can help conserve this precious resource while keeping our plants happy and healthy.
- For more information about water use and conservation in Florida, see Water Resources.
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