# Rachio / Irrigation leaving dry spots



## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Pics to follow later on...

But I'm wondering if anybody else uses the water saver features and all that and is noticing parts of their grass aren't getting enough water?

I know part of my issue is the setup of the heads alongside my driveway on one side... they put in bowtie sprayers but I'm changing them out for the orange ring, short distance rotors.

Just wanted to see if anybody here is able and willing to help me tune in the Rachio a bit before I take all kinds of pics and blather on


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

This is the main part of the front yard that is hit with MP Rotators. No issues with dryness in this zone.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

This area is where it's worst. This is along my driveway. The dry area is technically my neighbors property, but I sodded it and want to keep it nice.

The new sod was watered daily for a month, and that's on my property. This is the area I was saying I have new short range rotator nozzles for.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

These are strips along the sidewalk that have more of the bow tie deals but they seem to be doing better - it's flat and there are no cable or electrical boxes blocking the spray. But I'd say the one of them is still "medium dry". Other one is fine.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

This part is more damaged than it is dry. The plug you see there was nice and green a week ago. It started off as a repair two months ago and was pretty brown. Then greened up, now it's brown again.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

@Ware , @Greendoc , and others would love your input. Ignore the blue dye I was just testing the sprayer with water and dye


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

That is incomplete coverage. Shows up when the irrigation is run at the bare minimum or what is referred to as an evapotranspiration(ET) deficit. Grass normally needs about an inch of water per week from either rain or irrigation. If an irrigation system is run such that the inch is far exceeded, water can move laterally and make up the difference in the spots getting incomplete coverage. In another time, I touched a couple of lawns where the only thing I did was install MP Rotators in place of standard fixed spray or gear drive rotors. Never again. After having done that, I set the irrigation controller to run at a slight deficit. I then became liable for all of the dry spots that appeared.

If that area is not attached to areas that are doing well, I would up the watering drastically. My target run time would look like 2.5 hours of total run time per week to put down a full inch. Zeon really hates to be dried out. It reacts badly. Especially if it was recently laid. I see the individual sheets of sod. On new sod, I would be going over that inch per week rule of thumb until I knew it had all put roots down. Of course, with questionable coverage, the grass can decline in areas getting less water.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

The rachio can't deal with poor design too much unless you purposely set it up "incorrectly".

You need to setup multiple (10-20) rain gauges inside each zone. Then establish how long to run the zone to get to 1in in *all* of the gauges. Use this time to setup a custom nozzle based on that zone precipitation per hr. You will over water parts of the zones to get the other parts correct.

Another option is to redo the zone to get even coverage.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

g-man said:


> The rachio can't deal with poor design too much unless you purposely set it up "incorrectly".
> 
> You need to setup multiple (10-20) rain gauges inside each zone. Then establish how long to run the zone to get to 1in in *all* of the gauges. Use this time to setup a custom nozzle based on that zone precipitation per hr. You will over water parts of the zones to get the other parts correct.
> 
> Another option is to redo the zone to get even coverage.


Good to know. I have yet to run into even a commercially installed, never mind DIY installed irrigation system installed to the spec of head to head coverage +5% over on a square or triangular spacing pattern. A Rachio controller on a lawn not installed to spec would dry up and die.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

So to add further description... the cable "cylinder" in the above pic is about where my property line is. So the area thats dry is beyond my property line technically. So I couldn't put more heads over in that area. And in the irrigation guy's defense, I did say I didn't want to water the neighbors lawn for him. But seeing how dry that area is, I kind of wish there was some kind of solution we could have come up with. As you can see from the other picture, the other problem is that the middle rotator head is smack dab behind that cable cylinder.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> That is incomplete coverage. Shows up when the irrigation is run at the bare minimum or what is referred to as an evapotranspiration(ET) deficit. Grass normally needs about an inch of water per week from either rain or irrigation. If an irrigation system is run such that the inch is far exceeded, water can move laterally and make up the difference in the spots getting incomplete coverage. In another time, I touched a couple of lawns where the only thing I did was install MP Rotators in place of standard fixed spray or gear drive rotors. Never again. After having done that, I set the irrigation controller to run at a slight deficit. I then became liable for all of the dry spots that appeared.
> 
> If that area is not attached to areas that are doing well, I would up the watering drastically. My target run time would look like 2.5 hours of total run time per week to put down a full inch. Zeon really hates to be dried out. It reacts badly. Especially if it was recently laid. I see the individual sheets of sod. On new sod, I would be going over that inch per week rule of thumb until I knew it had all put roots down. Of course, with questionable coverage, the grass can decline in areas getting less water.


One of the things I did was switch out those little mini bowtie sprayers for some short range rotators. Prior issues aside, everywhere else I have them installed is thriving.

I also looked up the specs, and put them into Rachio, for the number of inches per hour of precipitation.

One of the things that is really messing with me is the soil type - I made some changes and now its starting the irrigation at 8,9,10,11 PM instead of 2 or 3 AM like it used to, which I believe is directly related to that.

Should I maybe switch from its automated system to a set schedule or something like that?


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > The rachio can't deal with poor design too much unless you purposely set it up "incorrectly".
> ...


Mine was commercially installed though... but I did change out the heads and adjust them on the driest of the zones. Turned up the flow and the range so its definitely at least head to head side to side. It's that area on the other side of the cable cylinder thats problematic. I'm not opposed to changing around the config etc. if its absolutely necessary, but maybe I try to up the watering first, as that one zone only has 3 heads on it, it shouldn't take drastically more $$$ to water more there.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

SCGrassMan said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > That is incomplete coverage. Shows up when the irrigation is run at the bare minimum or what is referred to as an evapotranspiration(ET) deficit. Grass normally needs about an inch of water per week from either rain or irrigation. If an irrigation system is run such that the inch is far exceeded, water can move laterally and make up the difference in the spots getting incomplete coverage. In another time, I touched a couple of lawns where the only thing I did was install MP Rotators in place of standard fixed spray or gear drive rotors. Never again. After having done that, I set the irrigation controller to run at a slight deficit. I then became liable for all of the dry spots that appeared.
> ...


For a supposedly "smart" controller, why is it putting water on the grass at night? Now I really have concerns about even using it. My water window, if I do not want to need fungicides 12 months out of the year is between 3 AM and the last zone must shut down by 3 PM. No water on the grass at night. I am screwed if it rains at night, because that is when I get all of the Dollar Spot and Large Patch. Why would I do that to myself.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

SCGrassMan said:


> So to add further description... the cable "cylinder" in the above pic is about where my property line is. So the area thats dry is beyond my property line technically. So I couldn't put more heads over in that area. And in the irrigation guy's defense, I did say I didn't want to water the neighbors lawn for him. But seeing how dry that area is, I kind of wish there was some kind of solution we could have come up with. As you can see from the other picture, the other problem is that the middle rotator head is smack dab behind that cable cylinder.


Up the amount of water applied just to that area.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> For a supposedly "smart" controller, why is it putting water on the grass at night? Now I really have concerns about even using it. My water window, if I do not want to need fungicides 12 months out of the year is between 3 AM and the last zone must shut down by 3 PM. No water on the grass at night. I am screwed if it rains at night, because that is when I get all of the Dollar Spot and Large Patch. Why would I do that to myself.


Yeah, it just started that business in the last day or two when I changed the soil type. I think what I need is more knowledge about the different programs and how to adjust it. I might just have to switch over to more of a manual program or just learn better what its doing so I can tell it to do what it needs to.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

This is all very instructional for me. Short of putting in my Hunter battery op valves if I ever come across a Rachio, another option would be to put in a Rainbird Controller with an I Link. I do not want water coming on at night.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Yeah part of it was the soil type. The other option I had was setting it to start at a specific time, so I set it to start at 3 AM. Previously it was set to finish by sun-up.

So I adjusted that, and put that one zone on a separate schedule, MWF, to run for a half hour each time or 1:30 each week. Should I bump that up to 2:30 total for those 3 days?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

What is your soil type? I know when working on Zeon on more well drained soil, it does not do well being watered infrequently. On sandy soil, I want 20 minutes every day. On clay or mixed soil, I want 10-15 minutes every day until the drying is corrected and grass is well established. Then I will consider watering as infrequently as possible to regulate growth.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> What is your soil type? I know when working on Zeon on more well drained soil, it does not do well being watered infrequently. On sandy soil, I want 20 minutes every day. On clay or mixed soil, I want 10-15 minutes every day until the drying is corrected and grass is well established. Then I will consider watering as infrequently as possible to regulate growth.


I'd say mostly sand, with some clay underneath. Maybe I do 20 minutes, 5 days a week, until the drying is corrected, and then scale back from there?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Good plan. Are you using the MP SR series MP Rotators? Those are identified by the orange and grey or else the lime green and grey nozzles.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Good plan. Are you using the MP SR series MP Rotators? Those are identified by the orange and grey or else the lime green and grey nozzles.


It's Orange - and a suuuuper tiny adjustment screw. It's supposedly 5-12' range, and a more sideways pattern than out front.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Good to know. I have yet to run into even a commercially installed, never mind DIY installed irrigation system installed to the spec of head to head coverage +5% over on a square or triangular spacing pattern. A Rachio controller on a lawn not installed to spec would dry up and die.


Mine is to spec as a DIY. MP system is great, but it is not forgiving to design flaws. It also doesn't like high wind conditions.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Now you all are really scaring me away from Rachio. Only time there is not a 20 MPH wind blowing in Hawaii is if it is either raining or about to rain. A Rachio would not work.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

SCGrassMan said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > Good plan. Are you using the MP SR series MP Rotators? Those are identified by the orange and grey or else the lime green and grey nozzles.
> ...


MP SR. That's the one.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Now you all are really scaring me away from Rachio. Only time there is not a 20 MPH wind blowing in Hawaii is if it is either raining or about to rain. A Rachio would not work.


Rachio has a wind delay feature, but it is not rachio issue. It is the MP in my opinion. The streams are thin and their trajectory is influence by the wind. If you water in the am, there is less wind and not a problem.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Ok. All things considered, MPs are the only nozzle/system capable of putting down any water under my high wind conditions. If I tried to run a system using conventional fan spray nozzles or gear drive rotors, most of the water would end up in a neighbor's yard or else on their car


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Ok. All things considered, MPs are the only nozzle/system capable of putting down any water under my high wind conditions. If I tried to run a system using conventional fan spray nozzles or gear drive rotors, most of the water would end up in a neighbor's yard or else on their car


I really like how they water honestly. Any of the zones I had already with the MP rotators seem to be getting watered just fine.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Now you all are really scaring me away from Rachio.


You don't like watering at night, or during winds? Simple don't, then. The Rachio is only as smart as it's told to be by the owner. Don't over think it - if you don't like night watering (it's nearly required to water at night here in Texas) then don't program it to. Simple.


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