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What is an Automatic Watering System?

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

An automatic watering system is a gardening system that waters a large area of grass, plants, or a combination of the two on an interval basis. Automatic watering systems, or sprinklers, are often used to care for large lawns and gardens that would take a long time to water by hand. They are often used in residential green spaces as well as in parks and other recreation areas. Automatic watering systems are often an important tool in the maintenance of golf courses, for which a healthy green lawn is crucial.

One of the main reasons that people decide to invest in an automatic watering system is to save time. In particularly hot and dry climates, an automatic watering system can be crucial to the survival of grass and plants. In some areas that have constant or seasonal hot weather, grass and plants often need to be watered more than once a day. This is especially true for areas that experience little rain. For people who have to be away from home for many hours at a time to attend work or school, it can be impossible to keep up with the necessary watering. An automatic watering system is perfect in this kind of situation.

Golf courses use automatic watering systems to maintain their grounds.
Golf courses use automatic watering systems to maintain their grounds.

An automatic watering system can be set with a timer so that the plants in its vicinity are watered at regular intervals. Therefore, plants and grass can be cared for even when people are away from home. This can be especially helpful for times when people go away on vacation. Instead of coming home to a burned lawn and withered plants, an automatic watering system makes it possible to come home to a healthy and lush garden.

Automatic watering systems eliminate the need to stand outside with a hose.
Automatic watering systems eliminate the need to stand outside with a hose.

Since their invention, automatic watering systems have become crucial to the success of farms. Some of the systems are incredibly complex and can cover a very large area. While most of these systems that are used for lawns, gardens, and golf courses simply sit on the ground and spray water in a circle, the systems used on farms usually water plants from above. In fact, these kinds of systems are often mobile and are set up to move down a row of crops. This means that an entire field can be watered without the farmer having to move the sprinkler even once. During hot and dry growing seasons, this kind of automatic water system can save entire crops.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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    • Golf courses use automatic watering systems to maintain their grounds.
      By: Sura Nualpradid
      Golf courses use automatic watering systems to maintain their grounds.
    • Automatic watering systems eliminate the need to stand outside with a hose.
      By: xuizy
      Automatic watering systems eliminate the need to stand outside with a hose.
    • An automatic watering system can be especially helpful for times when people go away on vacation.
      By: Brian Jackson
      An automatic watering system can be especially helpful for times when people go away on vacation.
    • Automatic watering systems have been crucial to the success of farms.
      By: Johan Larson
      Automatic watering systems have been crucial to the success of farms.