Irrigation Systems

Irrigation is the installation of an automatic watering system for borders, lawns, pots or whole gardens. Systems consist of drip lines for borders and hedges, pop-up sprinklers for lawns, and micro-sprinklers for pots or hanging baskets. Control is via an electronic unit that sets duration and frequency per zone, often linked to a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or app control. Critical at install: available water pressure, pipe diameter to avoid pressure loss over distance, and a backflow preventer so garden water never re-enters the drinking water network. Well-designed systems save significant water by delivering exactly what the planting needs — without excess in rain or shortfall in drought.

Our approach to irrigation

1. Brief and water source — where's the connection, how much pressure and flow are available.
2. System design — combination of drip, pop-up and micro, zoning, sensors.
3. Install — pipework underground, sprinklers adjusted, controller installed.
4. Setup and walk-through — you know how to operate it and how to winterise the system.

What we watch for in irrigation

Holiday plants you come back to as wilted shoots, despite a neighbour with a key — it's the most common reason to install irrigation. Manual watering is almost never consistent.

Most gardens get too much water in too few spots and too little elsewhere when watered by hand. Drip irrigation, by contrast, delivers only a few litres per hour — but precisely at the root, where it counts. Without a rain sensor a system waters during rainy spells, which backfires and rots the root zone. Pressure systems with pipes that are too narrow deliver an unusable flow at the end of the line, leaving the last zones almost dry. In many older houses available water pressure is the limiter — then you need zone-by-zone control or a booster pump.

In practice we first measure pressure and flow on the existing connection, calculate whether capacity is enough for the desired zones, and choose pipe diameter based on the longest run. A rain sensor or soil moisture sensor makes the system intelligent — only watering when the soil asks for it. For lawns, pop-ups with six to twelve sprinklers work better than three heavy ones; for borders, drip irrigation with self-cleaning emitters is more reliable than surface sprinklers. Always a backflow preventer right after the take-off — legally required, and for good reason.

Irrigation in Purmerend and surroundings

On clay around Purmerend and Beemster, drip irrigation works better than spraying — the surface stays drier and nutrients leach less. On sand towards Hoorn, spraying is fine, but more frequently and shorter to avoid leaching losses. In older houses in Zaanstreek and central Purmerend the water pressure is sometimes the limiter, calling for booster pumps or zone control. In new-build neighbourhoods around Diemen the connection is usually modern enough for more complex systems with multi-zone control.

Why clients choose us for irrigation

• System measured through — pressure and flow check out, so each zone gets what it needs.
• Simple operation — smart control with rain sensor, by phone if you want.
• Winterising as standard — we drain and shut down the system in autumn and start it back up in spring.

A good irrigation system is an investment that pays back over multiple seasons in both water savings and garden condition. We work throughout Purmerend, Zaandam, Hoorn, Diemen and Edam-Volendam. For planting that suits the system, see planting.