Water accounts for 60-90 percent of the weight in actively growing plants. Plants use water for everything they do: making food, forming leaves, growing fruits, moving nutrients from the roots to the leaves, and carrying energy from the leaves to the roots through a process known as transpiration. It is vital that this transpired water be replaced; plants that do not receive adequate precipitation will quickly use up whatever moisture is available.
Irrigation is simply bringing water to a plant where it is growing, compensating for any moisture not being provided by the plant’s immediate environment. Irrigation is a necessary part of landscape maintenance in most regions of Southern California. Automatic irrigation systems are very useful in providing and controlling the efficient application of moisture for all types of plants.
The need for irrigation is more critical today than ever. Natural weather patterns are inadequate for the demands of an exploding population; as a result, the increasing food production in North America is dependent on irrigation. From a homeowner’s perspective, irrigation saves more water than hand-watering and protects investments in landscaping. Irrigation systems also increase the value of residential property by as much as 5 to 10 percent.