Upgrading Your Drip Irrigation System for Reliability and Performance by New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC

Upgrading from a hose end timer to a professional grade drip irrigation system. 

     New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC  utilizes professional industry standard irrigation system components and new updated WFI smart irrigation controllers. 

                 Protect your landscape and garden investment with reliable high-quality professional grade drip irrigation system components from NewYorkPlantings.com  

NYC Drip Irrigation System Installation Service Truck and Gardening Service
NewYorkPlantings.com

This is more of a chat than an actual blog. I will write those another time. Today I want to discuss some of what to look for in a quality drip irrigation system installation and even how your installation should look when completed. I also want to drive the point home that if you have a battery powered hose end irrigation system timer it is time to consider an upgrade.   

Upgrading your drip irrigation system to a professional grade drip irrigation system. Retrofitting a new "smart Irrigation System WiFi Timer - Controller" 

We would like to upgrade YOUR irrigation system! ...Upgrading your drip irrigation system is key to peace of mind that your landscape investment is protected by removing the hose end battery powered timer or removing the battery powered Hunter Node that some NYC garden guy sloppily installed. (a Hunter Node CAN be used in a professional grade irrigation system, just that most Node irrigation controller installations we see in NYC are not installed by professional irrigation system mechanics and lack the basic components widely recognized as the standards of professional irrigation system installations.)   

Which to use? The choice for high end gardens is obvious: 

Do you have one of these Hose End timers? Better than nothing, many different brands and models but  may be a shortcut in reliability.

So, Upgrading drip irrigation systems...this isn't really and upgrade as it is the right way or the best way to install an irrigation system in the first place by including the parts and assembly as universally accepted throughout the irrigation industry, throughout the USA. In this writing I will focus more upon the controls. This means the parts that turn on and off the water in your automatically controlled drip irrigation system and keep it shut off until you want it watering your garden again.      

Textbook standard of drip irrigation system design that is neatly installed and securely mounted. When you look at our "newyorkplantings" professional grade drip irrigation system installation work, you feel good because you know it was installed with care and pride by the team at New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC. If you would like to know more about our company, please see the website at NewYorkPlantings.com

The components that New York Plantings Irrigation uses include some of the same valves and manifold parts seen in the 20 (or more) year old irrigation systems installed even before we became a NY drip irrigation service company however the internal materials of irrigation system valves have been improving over the years.

Let's just say you have a high end home with nice landscape, a hot sunny terrace or landscape that is an investment of time and several thousand dollars. Let's say that you would like to protect this investment in your NY or any city penthouse terrace garden or townhouse landscape, or anywhere you have need for a drip irrigation system.

If you have a battery powered timer/controller referred to as a "hose end timer" we already should be in agreement that the setup you have is temporary and not up to the standard of reliability nor the other things of you home. Sure, there will be those telling us they used them for years...yeah well they recycled used toothbrushes and q-tips for years too...Hose end irrigation system timers for the most part simply are not as reliable and not a standard of irrigation system design. Besides, I always want to at least know the best available for whatever I am doing and make an informed decision.

We at NY Plantings Irrigation usually explain the difference between an economy irrigation system and a professional grade system. 

  I'm not sure how technical of an explanation you want or simply trust that we at #newyorkplantings Irrigation system services in NYC do what we say we will...or, perhaps you already know about irrigation systems and plumbing from owning homes with landscaping and outdoor spaces and can see the difference in our work vs. others who just want to make a buck so "yeah we 'do' irrigation too!" 

Good valves for your irrigation system:  

There are many brands of valves available and most are made for lawn sprinklers. We sometimes use different brands for certain installations. 

These pictured 3/4" Toro drip irrigation system valves are proven the most reliable and used by the top 3 drip irrigation system specialists in NYC , NewYorkPlantings and 2 other guys.

The 3 of our companies do the best work in the city. Neat, reliable and professional installations. Each has their own personality but we all have a high standard and also have an edge of broader scope of services, much higher mechanical and decades of garden know how. 

The "other guys" who install irrigation systems are either lawn sprinkler folks or non mechanical (to say the least) gardeners who 'dabble' in drip irrigation...and it shows in their work. Yes, you can take a tube and place it in a planter or pot, leave it all over the ground, a tangled mess of wire and tubing, loose connections and home depot parts, add a $15 dollar battery powered "hose end" timer (to protect a $50K garden planting, charge the customer thousands for an "irrigation system" then, water comes out, temporarily and if you call that something you can charge people for...then, the reliable professional grade drip irrigation system the client should have received is yet to come, although at the expense of a new garden.

  For some NYC outdoor space owners who had "lawn sprinkler companies" come to their house, the parts are retrofitted or converted lawn sprinkler stuff, like that spider looking thing with 5 lines going into the back of your planters, plumbing valves that belong inside (like that huge anti return valve someone stuck on your system, which you already have inside the house!) and thick back 3/4" rigid plastic pipe circling your terrace.    

Here is a typical system I assemble:  Note that there is no weight on the spigot which causes the little 1/2 inch copper pipe to crack at the solder joint and leak into the wall...We use a simple burst proof hose. Then a dura-manifold is one more place where we differ from our competitors. The others use threaded fittings throughout which is fine except their workers do not have much skill besides the limited scope and very often cross thread, chew up and botch the assembly, making service a nightmare or expensive.

*We use O-ring sealed connections on our drip irrigation systems that can be serviced easily and never leak. This is used in hot tubs and other systems. In the rare instance of valve failure, the valves are easily replaced by turning the large plastic nut. 

*We install a high pressure filter BEFORE the drip irrigation system but others install either afterward or do not install at all. Dirt is about the only thing that will cause issues in these valves. *There is an incorporated pressure regulator that makes the drip emitters last longer and keeps parts, held together by barbed fittings, from separating downstream due to pressure spikes.

*All wires are tied, connected with a silicone grease filled waterproof wire nut (ALL of our competitors' irrigation system wiring is sloppy and begins to oxidize at wiring connections within days of install because they use the cheapest wire nuts available made for indoor use) In fact, I want to write blogs about drip irrigation but then these wannabees often copy our work. 

More differences from the setup you have now: 

Separate valves: Called solenoid valve as well, These last decades, solid open/closing. Low priced battery timers often leak and stay open. The pressure seems fine and we can continue to run one zone however the new setup will have 2 valves. 

Safety valve: Sometimes called a main valve, A safety valve protects the entire system in case the rare instance of a "continuous run" situation should occur. This is standard of the professional industry however the inexperienced and ill advised will set up irrigation systems without this valve. You will never see an experienced irrigation company  forego a safety valve. There is even provision on pro grade timers to control this valve. 

So this is some of the reason why the system will be upgraded. The battery powered setup you have will last a season or two and is realistic to say that these become stuck open or closed, cannot be relied upon when travelling and are not able to make the automatic adjustments that new "smart irrigation controllers" can. 

*Timer: I suggest just going with the new "WIFI" irrigation system controllers. They also use Bluetooth. You do not have to use the WIFI feature unless you wish to. There is an app for your phone to match the controller. No more going outside to adjust the controller, asking others...or even going home! 

These are great, have excellent customer support, several videos in their use and warranty and the bugs are all worked out.  

You operate either old school on the timer or with your phone from anywhere in the world. You can pause if raining, add a shot of water if hit or set the timer to monitor local weather and pause during rainy days! 

We no longer need rain sensors however there is still provision for sensors...even soil moisture sensors. You will be alerted if irrigation is not functioning as well. 

Photo from Orbit co. of a WIFI Capable Irrigation System Controller-Timer Often used by New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC​

For a 2 zone system, this upgrade, at the time of this writing: 

About $2390.00 in total complete and includes a 2 year warranty. The only way that we will not replace or repair a damaged system for free is if the system was not Winterized properly. If we winterize the system and it is damaged by freezing then we replace the damaged system parts again for free. 

We will include the first Weatherization (Fall shut down) at no charge. 

This is why our irrigation company has a near 5 star rating on google compared to our garden company with 4.  

New controller, manifold, valves, and connections, neatly installed in a way that matches the rest of the property. 

 We keep this all in stock on our service trucks and do not need to order anything for any service or installation. 

Contact us at New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting for your irrigation system services, Landscape Lighting and as most already know, Unmatched garden design and installations from our parent company: NewYorkPlantings.com 

Todd Nappi  New York Plantings Irrigation.
6464348049 

A drip Irrigation system Manifold being assembled by NewYorkPlantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC go to newyorkplantings.com  

Install an automatic drip watering system for your penthouse terrace garden: Make sure to buy a professional-grade Drip irrigation system by New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting  NYC.  

Many professional terrace garden drip irrigation system installers can include landscape lighting electricians in their team of professionals such as the Manhattan, NY based company: New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC 

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Neatly installed professional Grade Drip Irrigation 2 zone System by New York Plantings Irrigation NYC go to newyorkplantings.com 

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Landscape lighting, planting as master gardener and other work in outdoor space improvements. 

     

A Mercer street New York, NY Roof Garden Installed by New York Plantings Garden Designers and the Irrigation Company in partnership. NewYorkPlantings.com

There 

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Going green by saving water converting lawn sprinklers to drip irrigation systems - Designed by New York Plantings Irrigation Company NYC

Hardcore Manhattan Gardeners and NY Landscape Design company,

"New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contracting" 

I will be writing about how you can improve your irrigation systems for your urban garden or suburban landscapes.

I suppose that a good understanding of how drip irrigation systems function and knowing which NYC irrigation company really cares about doing their best in designing drip irrigation systems for rooftop gardens, penthouse landscapes, terraces and the higher volume watering systems of the surrounding suburban landscapes and the lawn sprinklers and shrub sprays so common in traditional landscapes.

Garden Sprinkler

Sometimes, after working all day and seeing that your yard looks pretty good we may think that "if it is not broke don't fix it" but if I can explain correctly to our readers just what can be improved and how much better the irrigation systems that NY Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting are developing, using both modern, technologically advanced irrigation system components and also new "smart irrigation controllers or timers" it becomes not only a going green by saving water and saving money by reducing the amount of water your irrigation system requires in order to deliver the same amount of water to the roots of the planting such as the trees, shrubs and flowers in your landscape beds.

In many cases, I can design a system to deliver even more water to the root systems of your garden plantings than an existing lawn sprinkler system while cutting a generous 50% actual usage.

To walk a property of one of our clients the experienced irrigation technician or drip irrigation system designer can immediately find obvious areas that can stand improvement such as overly moist, dry patches, dry plantings of fungus prone areas or spots in the garden.

An area that receives sun but has the shadow of the building or house will require more water in he sunny areas then the shady. With an easy to design drip irrigation system we can tailor per planting how much water each planting will receive.

**Provide photo for this caption: Uneven watering is a frustrating issue for home owners or hobby gardeners hat causes many to simply crank up the volume of water delivered in hopes of soaking the ground enough for water to reach the roots of your garden's plantings.

                

Vertical Gardening Irrigation

Drip irrigation is used for green walls and green roofs but we want people to see past that and use drip irrigation in place of lawn sprinklers or shrub sprays to improve the garden beds and landscape beds.

Sure, keep your lawn sprinklers for now, but use them on the lawn, NOT the trees, shrubs garden and landscape. lets see how the drip irrigation under sod lawns or turf is going to an out first. Besides the actual use of lawn sprinklers for turf or grass, I am 100% sure that drip irrigation is so much better than any type of spray or lawn sprinklers for watering trees, flowers or shrubs that I cannot stress enough the benefits of which I will get to later or in following New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting, rooftop garden and landscaping blog posts.  

but im trying to get people to see that drip irrigation is not just a light duty "toy" for little silly green walls walls (or even huge green walls)  

The raised vegetable gardens and the do it yourself guy on you tube is what we DONT want people to associate drip irrigation with. I learn plenty from you tube, I like it actually, but we are talking about protecting an investment in a landscape and gardens that cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to design, plant and maintain.  

I want people with real landscapes (know definition of suburban NY such as NYC, Westchester or Long Island commercial and residential landscapes) to consider drip irrigation, not just people with a deck and a few pots, or the penthouse garden and rooftop gardener (Who already know the benefits and how good it is to have rooftop garden drip irrigation systems) 

Soil Replaced

photo with caption: overly moist and even soaked areas promote fungus and mildew that will kill any plants quickly, even if plantings are replaced the soil shouls be amended or treated to prevent regrowth.  

New York Plantings master gardeners will consider several factors foreign to the typical NYC landscape architect or garden designers hailing from lifetime inner city living or simply hanging a shingle after working as helper to a city reared so called garden company.

This view may seem to some a bit harsh or bitter however with any trade or group it is the few bad apples that sour the batch.

NY Plantings is coming to set up an irrigation system that will essentially be dripping water on your landscape and garden trees, shrubs and plants roots. not spraying mold and fungus encouraging, evaporating, non root reaching spray irrigation is long been the wrong thing to use.

Automated Irrigation System Installation

Save money and your beautiful garden with a new updated electronically controlled "smart" drip irrigation system installed by New York Plantings Irrigation Company NYC.

  Drip irrigation: Save 75 bucks/month at least. times 9 months: $675.00 times 5 years:  $3375.00 payback in 5 years.

   Besides protecting your garden design and planting investment, maturing and establishing your garden creating priceless mature specimen plants,

virtually eliminating fungal and mildew plant diseases.

Reduce soil compaction by droplets, encourage soil nutrient generation, use less water to supply plantings roots.

   no moving parts such as sprinkler heads, no pop ups, no adjustments, easy to add more drip irrigation capacity and expand the drip irrigation system.

Does not require blow out with air compressor.

Only the mechanical solenoid valves and control system/manifold require winterizing.

winterizing Irrigation

Drip irrigation by New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape lighting NYC can be set to water several times per day, keeping the soil in your rooftop garden planter at optimal moisture levels, greenroof irrigation can be set to promote root growth and utilize only minimal amounts of water in drought conditions.

Roof Top Irrigation

By promoting strong established root systems New York Plantings master gardeners have even eliminated the need for some green roofs that depended upon irrigation systems and at least have made many green roof plants, roof gardens, terrace gardens and landscapes much less dependent upon the irrigation systems, making the plants, trees and shrubs less sensitive and eliminating the "cycling that occurs when plantings lilt, droop, then stand up, droop, stand, droop from heat and a dry top layer of soil...

Drip irrigation, properly installed with other proprietary rooftop garden methods and of course textbook, standard proven garden and landscape care practices utilized by NY Plantings irrigation service company along with the New York Plantings NYC gardeners can ensure that your investment in your garden or landscape plantings, your money, time and your beautiful view from inside the home and your beautiful yards, outdoor spaces, penthouse gardens or roof gardens will remain looking great regardless of weather, heat, drought and survive periods of time without the drip irrigation system functioning.

How many can say that their sunny rooftop garden plantings can survive one week or more without any watering or irrigation?

We at NY Plantings use our decades of rooftop gardening service experiences, Urban garden techniques learned from both hands on experience and formal horticultural training.

Furthermore, the master gardeners at
"New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors NYC" love to garden! Even after a hard week of working on Manhattan's penthouse gardens, rooftop and terraces as well as traditional landscape design and installations, the hobby gardener comes out on the weekend to do what they enjoy most.

Homeowners working for homeowners.

We at NY Plantings would love to share all we have learned about terrace and rooftop garden practices over the past decades however, since our competition basically relies on short cuts to apply the trade, we have to keep much of our hard learned technique for our clients and keep the subject matter light.

The drip irrigation company we began about 6 years ago now in Manhattan, NY is doing very well.

Look for a dedicated NY drip irrigation company website covering our rooftop garden irrigation systems, terrace gardens, penthouse gardens, irrigation systems for townhouses and brownstone landscapes as well as lawn sprinklers for sod, turf, and grass.

Landscape lighting and drip irrigation system installation come naturally to a company owner who has an extensive background in mechanical, automotive electrical, hydraulic systems and general mechanical pursuits. Restoration of antique motorcycles, diesel engine and race shop experience (gosh I'm getting older)

Of course, we can install a landscape lighting or irrigation system!

Keeping up with emerging technologies, new digital and "smart" irrigation controls make the drip irrigation systems even more exciting and cost-effective.

 Since we began installing drip irrigation approximately a decade ago until recently we have been re-engineering and trying new ways to install drip irrigation systems in one of the most demanding environments to try and grow trees, shrubs, and plants.

Utilizing planter boxes on a terrace garden or rooftop/penthouse garden are the most common method of providing living space to support our roof gardens and penthouse gardens. Planters are also often used for restaurants and café flowers, entry way trees or shrubs planted in sidewalk planters etc.

Hand watering of these types of gardens wastes serious time, money, water and still really does not work!

New York Plantings gardener and drip irrigation system designer immediately found the irrigation systems installed by the established NYC irrigation companies to be lacking in several key areas.

As a true gardener and horticulturist would have it, the type of irrigation systems that NY Plantings installs are in many ways a better product and design than what the much more experienced competition NY irrigation services are installing, In fact, the "competition has stopped installing the types of systems they swore by for over 30 years in exchange have begun installing drip irrigation systems similar to the type pioneered by "New York Plantings Irrigation and Landscape Lighting NYC!"   

Environmental benefits of NY plantings irrigation company drip irrigation systems are much greater than originally estimated.

If you are into "going green" or interested in protecting and preserving our environment and natural resources...or simply do not like to WASTE huge amounts of WATER for NO REASON.

Then you should already have had NY Plantings drip irrigation systems installed in your garden beds, roof gardens, terraces, hotel lobbies and entryways, public parks and just about anywhere you rely on outdated insult to the environment style spray heads, shrub sprays, pop up style sprinklers or traditional style lawn sprinklers.

It is easy to see that NY Plantings is a different type of company both in the garden design, landscaping services, drip irrigation installations, and landscape lighting.

Not the lowest cost NYC garden designers, however, the long term cost is far less if you compare a properly designed and build hardscape, deck, patio, rooftop garden or landscape installation.

Only New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors NYC  have been offering the complete packages when providing garden and landscape designs.

Consultation, design renderings, nursery direct delivery

WE go to the nursery and hard pick each planting: not just order and take delivery. Using unique plantings that are proven to thrive in our environment.

Shying away from the boxwood stuffed cookie cutter gardens developed by the point and click NYC landscape design architects.

We carefully plant our own gardens, in likely custom built planters made to fit your space exactly, utilizing super high quality materials such as IPE Brazilian hardwoods, stainless steel fasteners, quality built fence, deck construction, pergolas, and concrete or stone pavers.

Vertical Garden

NY Greenroof design and installations, vertical gardens or living walls.

Of course, a complete package includes the irrigation systems and modern LED landscape lighting. When new lighting or drip irrigation systems come to fruition we will be offering only the best as technology allows.

Highest Quality landscape products and hardscape materials and construction methods both beautiful and rugged to create an outdoor space that you will always admire...never have to renovate your landscape again as it will become an ever-evolving expression of your taste and milestones of your time here in the world.

Who cares? WE DO!

***another blog about the garden industry in Manhattan NYC :

the thoughts of my New York landscape and garden design company competitors that keep poking their head from my stewlike chunky brain.

Either by outright poor practice, obvious rampant disdain for actual garden knowledge is commonplace in the NYC garden trades. My thinking is that the underprivileged (not financially but with no natural beauty or even the daily scoping of the upper and middle class suburban neighbourhoods of Long Island and Westchester therefore underprivileged from eye candy!) background and sheer lack of passion and love for gardening or landscape design shows through all about us in the Manhattan landscapes created and mismanaged by our "peers".

The great cities of the world, I am told even put to shame NYC with several parks and gardens but include a general beauty in upkeep.

Now, evident in my least favorite rows of boxwood so beloved by the Manhattan landscape "architect" I imagine someone pointing/clicking rows of "shrub" symbols on the computer aided graphic designs they call landscape architecture or landscape design.

I am guilty in recent months of giving in to this tradition since we have had some clients who just want some green outside the window to soften the terrace. In the same vein of truth, I will say that I survived several years in the NY landscape trade without planting one boxwood!

I liken these garden companies to the independent guy running for president that seems to do nothing but take the votes from the true professionals and people who actually put the work in, devoting their lives to the cause...

only to waste votes by taking about 10% of potential votes...in the case, I liken to...garden or landscape projects: the 10% of which could support the "real" hardcore garden guys.

Liken it to the "if they hate people then why do they work in DMV"

I often say "if they cant see the potential design opportunities in an outdoor space, or just buy shabby planters on w28st and place a concrete looking plastic pagota statue in a townhouse rear yard, plant some bamboo with a home depot landscape lighting system (transformer o the ground of course) wiring of the sloppiest order.... pre-made fence then the best sloppy tangled mess of an "irrigation system" oh boy.

You worked for a guy for a few months and it looked easy enough.

So you became a "landscape guy" Even utilizing the same phrasing and words your x-boss uses on his website. Maybe you are a decent carpenter and want to create "roof-scapes" wow that's original.

Again, taking the potential business from the ones who love garden, have built hundreds of custom planters, fences, rooftop decks and hardscapes.

The average carpenter can be trained however they don't see the functionality and specifics required for long lasting outdoor construction.

The need to route landscape lighting, drip irrigation lines.

Drainage from your planters:

• Where will all that dirty water go? 
• Does the water HAVE to be dirty?
• Will the neighbors below complain if water drips to their terrace?
• Will the entire side of the building be sained by your planters?
• How are your roof drains able to be utilized to collect the drainage water?
• Will rats find a good home in those planters?
• Will design and hardscape on roof garden or penthouse survive steadfast in a hurricane?
• Are the plantings unique and beautiful while proven to thrive in the Manhattan NYC landscape or roof gardens?

So many questions that do not cross the minds of the inexperienced rooftop garden designer.

Over several years learning the hard way Manhattan Landscape design and rooftop garden, penthouse garden, and terrace space hardscape and garden installations New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors knows what to look for and will prevent potential issues and even problems from occurring for the life of your landscape or garden.