ᐅ Is an automatic garden irrigation system worthwhile without a rainwater harvesting tank?

Hello,

I am currently considering whether we should install an automatic garden irrigation system for our 200m² (2150 sq ft) garden.
150m² (1615 sq ft) of that is lawn.

I have not included the terrace area.

We do not have a rainwater harvesting system installed.

Would it even be worthwhile to water the garden with potable water using an automatic irrigation system?

Or would it be better to water the garden manually with a garden hose?

You don’t need to water the lawn at all. Irrigation is mainly for appearance, but not much else.
And for the rest, you can easily use a garden hose when needed.

However, automated irrigation doesn’t necessarily use more water through the pipes. It’s usually watered differently (such as drip irrigation overnight or similar). Whether that justifies the cost is something you have to decide.

Yes, I also believed that you don’t need to water the lawn even during extended dry periods.

Okay, I also think that the approximately 30m (100 ft) long flower bed can be watered by hand using a garden hose (we have a Gardena Rollup Box).

Automatic irrigation does require quite a bit of effort and isn’t exactly cheap.

Hello,

FrankChief schrieb:

automatic irrigation does require quite a bit of effort and isn’t exactly cheap

Well, a flower bed is fairly simple if you already have a water supply line: just add a drip irrigation hose and an irrigation controller (battery-powered ones are available). You can get pretty far with about 200–300 euros and save yourself from watering the bed for hours every day. It’s also much more efficient in terms of water usage. It’s best to spread wood chips (not bark mulch) over the bed to protect the soil from drying out.

Sprinkler systems for lawns are always a hot topic. We have one, and I wouldn’t want to be without it. We have fairly dry conditions here, and I don’t want to spend three months every year looking at a completely brown lawn. It wouldn’t even survive the kids.

The “missing rainwater tank / cistern” isn’t a big problem—it’s actually pointless around here. Several neighbors have one, and they all say that by May or June it’s almost always empty, and they have to water almost entirely with tap water.

Best regards

Unfortunately, we only have a cold water connection on the house at the terrace.

We want to extend the terrace around the house to the back of the garage.
There is also the cold water connection there.

So, our only option now is to lay a hose or pipe under the terrace to be able to install an automatic irrigation system.

Or we could simply water manually with a garden hose, it doesn’t take hours anyway.

In front of the house, we have to water by hand or with a hose anyway, since there is no water connection there.

With an automatic irrigation system, you can water more evenly, efficiently, and at the right times.
Lawns need about 10-20 liters per m2 (1-2 gallons per sq ft) per week.
It's also much more convenient. However, lawn irrigation isn't absolutely necessary. The lawn will just turn brown and die. All the money spent on the system and installation would be wasted.
For 150 m2 (1,615 sq ft), you can also use oscillating sprinklers. Connect a watering timer/controller to water early in the morning.