Are you preparing for spring and summer landscaping? One of the biggest pieces to ensuring the success of your landscaping efforts is ensuring that your plants and grass will receive enough water throughout the hotter months of summer. To do this, many in Blaine rely on irrigation management systems. As local experts in sprinklers and irrigation management, we have compiled a list of steps to make sure your irrigation management system is ready for use all spring and summer long!

1. Test the Soil

Before flushing the sprinkler system – first check that the soil beneath your lawn is frost-free, at least 12 inches deep. This can be done with a shovel. If the soil is rock hard, wait until the weather warms up further.

2. Check the Controller

Check the settings on your irrigation system controller. Be sure that the time and date are properly set and that the settings match your desired schedule.

3. Remove Obstructions

Be sure to remove any rocks, dirt or other debris that have collected in the pipes in the off-season by flushing the system.

4. Check for Damage

Check for issues by running your system. Are there broken valves that aren’t spraying as they should? Is water pooling somewhere due to a leak in a pipe? If there are problems, call a professional to repair the system before continuing use.

5. Check Valves

To identify which valves may have issues, turn on each zone one by one. This way you can easily identify the zone causing problems.

6. Open Street Valve

Slowly open the main valve to fill the pipes. It is important to take this step slowly to prevent damages to the system by sudden pressure changes.

7. Test Water Pressure

Finally, ensure that the pressure is at a safe operating range and that it is sufficient to reach all plants or sections of grass that require watering.

Or you can simplify the whole process down to one simple step:

1. Hire Classic Lawnscape for Irrigation Management

Alternatively, you can simply call Classic Lawnscape to narrow down a seven-step process into one easy solution. We can make sure that your irrigation management systems are ready for spring while you sit back and relax!

Classic Lawnscape is happy to help you with all of your irrigation management needs this spring. Call us today at 763-780-7231 or request a free estimate!

Summer hasn’t come to an end yet, but fall is quickly approaching! September is already here, and while temperatures may still be warm, it’s time to start preparing for those cooler months. Is your fall preparation list started? Don’t forget to add preparing your sprinkler system to that list!

Due to the cold temperatures, we experience each winter in Minnesota, winterization of your sprinkler system is a must every single year. Any residual water left in the pipes of your sprinkler system can freeze and expand, causing the pipes to break. This will be even more of a headache next spring when you need to prepare them for summer!

The best way to protect sprinkler systems in Coon Rapids is to perform a fall blowout for them every year. Don’t hesitate to get this scheduled, as schedules book up fast and winter will be here before we know it!

What is a fall blowout?

A fall blowout is the process of preparing your sprinkler system for the colder months. It saves you from requiring expensive repairs next spring. There are several steps that should be performed with a fall blowout:

• The water source to your sprinkler system should be turned off. This can be done by locating the master shut-off valve to prevent water from accumulating in the pipes of your sprinkler system.
• The remaining water in the pipes should be drained. This can be done by collecting water into a bucket after opening the hose bib. Collecting the drained water into a bucket prevents the ground from flooding, causing harm to your lawn!
• Finally, an air compressor should be used to completely dry your sprinkler system. This causes the sprinklers to run for a few minutes while the remaining water is forced out.

After all of that, your sprinkler system is ready to go for winter! Dry pipes won’t break due to the expansive properties of water as it freezes, meaning your sprinkler system will be one step closer to being ready to use next spring!

Why do I need a fall blowout?

Fall blowouts protect your sprinkler system. Sprinkler systems are normally a sizeable investment into your house and landscaping – so you want to make sure you are protecting it from damage! The harsh winters here in Minnesota cause a lot of freeze-thaw cycles, setting your pipes up for long-term and costly damage if not properly dried before the winter months.

Who can I call for a fall blowout?

Classic Lawnscape is happy to help prepare sprinkler systems for fall and winter in Coon Rapids and the surrounding areas. Call us today at 763-780-7231 or request a free estimate!

With scorching heat just around the corner, now is the perfect time to prepare your sprinkler system to be as effective as possible this summer. On average in the United States, outdoor water use takes 9 billion gallons per day. That’s a lot of water – especially once you learn that about 50% of that water is wasted due to inefficient sprinkler systems!

That’s why it is so important to perform regular checks on your lawn sprinkler system in Andover and the surrounding Twin Cities area. Classic Lawnscape’s team of professionals will come to you to inspect your sprinkler systems and perform any required maintenance to keep your system running smoothly, and to save water.

We offer weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly system inspections to keep your system running at its most efficient. Weekly inspections consist of one of our technicians checking for plant stress due to over or under watering. Based on our technician’s findings, they will make any required adjustments or repairs!

If weekly inspections are too frequent for you, we can also come on a monthly basis and perform a physical inspection of your system. Once again, based on findings from the inspection, our technician will take care of any adjustments or repairs while they are on site!

Now that you know more about performing regular inspections for your sprinkler system, you may be wondering – is a sprinkler system really worth the extra hassle? The answer is yes!

Especially over the summer when there’s less rain and higher temperatures, soil can dry out which can kill your grass and plants. Manually watering your grass can waste water, cause health issues for your grass and plants, and can lead to uneven watering – all issues that can be easily negated by using your sprinkler system!

For the healthiest grass with the least amount of water waste, the best time to water your grass is before sunrise. This way the roots can soak up the water before the sun rises and evaporates what hasn’t been absorbed. A sprinkler system can do this on a schedule, automatically, so that you don’t have to worry about waking up before dawn to care for your grass.

The best way to keep your grass thriving throughout the brutal heat of summer is to utilize your lawn sprinkler system and make sure that regular inspections are performed! And the best way to ensure that your lawn sprinkler system in Andover is working as it should is to contact Classic Lawnscape for routine inspections. Call us today at 763-780-7231 or request a free estimate!