Looking after your lawn is a hobby that is both fun and rewarding. Not only do you enjoy the feeling of keeping a lawn looking neat and tidy, you also get instant gratification because of the fact that a well-maintained lawn enhances the look of your house by a considerable margin.
One of the most important factors of looking after your lawn is watering it. Trimming the hedges and the mowing the grass gives it a clean look, but if said hedges and grass is not watered correctly, all you’ll have left is a dead yard that is downright unpleasant to look at. There are multiple ways you can go about watering your lawn; some people prefer to use a hose and personally water every nook and cranny, others prefer flicking a switch and watching their sprinklers do all the heavy lifting.
Using a Hose
If you like the feeling of personally interacting with your lawn every day, and the satisfaction of seeing it all bloom beautifully, you probably want to use a garden hose. Garden hoses are easier to use than watering cans, because you don’t have to continually refill the can and also don’t have to bend to water the plants, but also keep the element of interaction alive. There are a bunch of different types of gardening hoses, and which one you ultimately go for depends on what you’re looking for when it comes to watering your lawn.
Vinyl Hoses: Vinyl hoses are some of the cheapest gardening hoses you can find. This is both a good thing and a bad thing depending on how you plan to use your hose. If you plan to carry the hose around all day to water every inch of your lawn, it is probably best you skip this one. Vinyl hoses tend to kink and break quite often, and are only really recommended if they are not going to be used frequently or are going to remain stationary for most of their use.
Polyurethane Hoses: These hoses are much more durable than vinyl hoses, though they tend to be much less flexible as well. These hoses are usually stiff and have a habit of getting tangled together if used carelessly. They require a bit more effort to use because of their reluctance to bend that easily, and are also prime to break if driven over in the driveway. Nevertheless, if used carefully, polyurethane hoses can last a fairly long time without problems.
Polymer Hoses: Polymer hoses are kind of the exact opposite of polyurethane hoses. They are extremely flexible and can be coiled around plants with relative ease. Because of their flexible nature however, polymer hoses also kink and crease quite easily, though the bend barely ever sets in, and is usually easily corrected.
Rubber Hoses: How a rubber hose performs depends on how much you splurge on it. Low-quality rubber hoses will tear easily and keep kinking and developing creases. They will also burst if driven over. A higher quality rubber hose on the other hand, will be the best garden hose you’ll ever use. A good quality rubber hose can withstand a lot of abuse and will help you water your lawn with barely any issues.
Metal Hoses: Metals hoses are a step up even from rubber hoses, and for obvious reasons. Metal hoses cannot kink or develop a crease, and they can also stand a lot of abuse. They do tend to get really hot if left under the sun, but cool off quite fast too when the water runs through them. If you’re willing to pay a bit more, a metal hose will last you a long time and barely run into any problems along the way.
Other Things to Look Out for When Buying a Hose
Buying a garden hose isn’t just a matter of deciding on a material and then buying a hose made out of it. There are other factors that are worth considering before you make your purchase, to ensure that your hose meets your requirements. For starters, decide which coupling material you want on your hose. Plastic couplings are cheap, but tend to break easily. Metal and aluminum couplings are much more durable, though brass couplings are generally considered the best bet.
Checking a hose’s Burst Pressure Rating is also a good move. If a hose has a high Burst Pressure Rating, it is less likely to burst when full of water and subjected to external pressure. It is also worth checking a hose’s performance ratings for extreme weather conditions, in case you live in an area susceptible to those.
Using a Sprinkler System
If you don’t want to put in too much effort, either because you tire easily or because you’re too busy with work, a sprinkler system for your lawn is a better choice. Here we are strictly talking about above-ground sprinklers, the kind that you can move around and remove from your lawn at a whim.
Many companies sell above-ground sprinkler system kits, and you’re free to choose whichever one you fancy. A sprinkler system obviously has many advantages over using a hose, all of them in the automation department. For starters, a sprinkler system saves a lot of water, which is great news for those of you living in drought-ridden states. Because of a precise amount of water being sprayed every time, the sprinkler system manages to avoid any wastage of water that usually results from manual watering of the lawn.
Sprinkler systems use timers to function, and these timers make sure that the lawn is properly and efficiently watered. By setting a time, you have a sprinkler system that automatically works in the background with no user input required. The set time intervals are what help conserve water, and also ensure a healthy lawn thanks to the regular and on-time watering.
Sprinkler systems also make use of, understandably, sprinklers. Instead of having to drag a hose to each corner of your lawn, the sprinklers cover the whole area by increasing and lowering water pressure as well as rotating their heads. Sprinkler systems do require a more complex setup than ordinary hoses, but once they’ve been set up you can kick back and relax. There are a few different types of above-ground sprinkler systems for you to choose from.
Oscillating Sprinklers: Oscillating sprinklers work by making waves in the ejected water. These types of sprinklers look pretty cool, but also need to be installed in a lawn that matches their shape. If an incorrectly shaped oscillating sprinkler is installed in a lawn its shape is not suited for, you will end up with parts of your lawn completely dry and untouched by the water waved.
Pulsating Sprinklers: This is probably the type of sprinkler you’re most familiar with. Suited for covering a circular area around them, these sprinklers rotate and eject water at high pressures in pulses. These sprinklers are ideal for large lawns, as they covered a large around them with ease.
Stationary Sprinklers: Stationary sprinklers are an inexpensive choice if you have a small lawn. These sprinklers, as the name suggests, don’t make use of any fancy oscillations or pulses, and simply eject water around them in a determined shape. These sprinklers are great for turning on for a short period of time every day to water a small area.
Conclusion
Gardening is fun, and is only as difficult as you want it to be. Like a challenge and the satisfaction of making something yourself? A garden hose is your friend. Want to just relax while the lawn gets its daily makeover? Sprinklers have got you covered. Both watering systems have their own fans, pros, and cons, and no matter which you end up choosing, you’ll have a beautiful lawn that you can be proud of.