Winterizing the Irrigation System – our Checklist

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Grahame Hubbard

Introduction

Yes ! Plant Specialists provides full irrigation services for all types of gardens.  Winterizing included !!!

For those of you who don’t have us care for your irrigation system - here are a few pointers for Fall.


Guidelines

Timing is key.  You need to wait for the deciduous plants to start dropping their leaves and begin going dormant.  Otherwise turning the water off too soon will result in damaged plants.

BUT - you can’t wait past your frost date, or you risk frozen and damaged pipes! We at Plant Specialists winterize somewhere between Nov 10 and the day before Thanksgiving.

Turn off the main tap water valve and leave in the closed position. This is the garden spigot where the irrigation system connect to the building structure.

Turn off your irrigation timer, remove the battery, and disconnect from the power source.

Unscrew the main irrigation pipe from the water spigot. For a multi-line system it may be connected first to a manifold.

Connect the now open end of the irrigation pipe to a compressor.  Blow air into the system for the time it takes for all the water to get pushed out of all the lines and air starts coming out of the emitters. 

Generic compressor

Any small portable and electric compressor will do.

For a large garden it could be 20 minutes or more.  This ensures there is no water left in any irrigation pipe or emitter and will not freeze.

For separate multiline systems you need to repeat this for every pipe that services a zone.

Notify your building or plumber to turn off the main water valve at its source.  This is a valve inside the building or basement that feeds the water to the garden spigot.

Once the building water is off the plumber or building super may return to the garden spigot and open it.  There should be no water coming out. This is also to ensure the spigot won’t freeze any trapped water.


That’s it ! – But If you still have issues winterizing your irrigation - Call us - we know Irrigation !


Plant Specialists 718 392 9404

Don't delay – the sooner the better !



GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !





Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK 

Grahame Hubbard

Grahame was born in a small village in North Queensland, Australia. He grew up on a
fishing boat with his parents until the age of 12. He was educated via the "Outback School of the Air", a two-way radio-learning system.

Ironically, Grahame ended up amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City -- quite a contrast from the village of sixty people he was born in.
This change was brought about by his overwhelming desire to travel, his passion for experiencing the diversity of the world, and his desire to immerse himself in varying cultures.

After growing up on the sea, Grahame resided in New Zealand for ten years, Thailand for three seasons and then lived for a decade in Canada before making New York City home.

Coming from a gardening family of Orchid experts, Grahame has always been mesmerized by nature. He has a lifelong love of plants, gardens, garden design and all aspects of the horticultural arts and sciences.

Owner of Plant Specialists since 2004, he is proud to be involved with a team that have been Greening New York’s interiors and exteriors since 1972!

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