A smart sprinkler controller may be the answer to a green lawn

Whether it be due to dry weather or post-winter blues, your grass may need a little TLC to get back to its beautiful green state. A smart sprinkler controller is one of the best tools to help revive your lawn this summer.

Say goodbye to your clunky old controller and hello to a Wi-Fi-enabled way to water your grass from anywhere. These modern-day controllers can help you manage the revival of your yard after winter and maintain a lush-looking lawn through spring and summer.

What is a smart sprinkler controller?

A smart sprinkler controller hooks up to your existing in-ground irrigation system and connects over Wi-Fi to let you control watering your lawn remotely via the companion app. The controllers automate the task of opening and closing individual sprinkler valves in your irrigation system.

Smart sprinkler controllers can create custom schedules based on weather conditions, and send important system alerts to your smartphone or tablet. Many smart sprinkler controllers work with smart home platforms like Amazon Echo and Google Home, so you can use voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant as another way to conveniently give your thirsty grass a drink.

(If you don't have an in-ground irrigation system, try a smart hose timer for automatic, app-controlled watering with a garden hose.)

How to revive your lawn with a smart sprinkler controller

Before you turn on the water, take the time to prep your yard. Use a rake to remove any dead buildup that may hamper grass regrowth. Take a look around for broken sprinkler heads and give the system a test run to check for clogged or leaky valves. Since your sprinklers have likely been out of commission all winter, turn the water on slowly so that the flow of water pressure doesn’t overwhelm your system all at once.

This is also a good time to apply a weed-and-feed product (suitable for your grass type) and aerate your lawn. Opening up the soil allows nutrients from the fertilizer, as well as air and water, to flow down into the grass roots and stimulate new growth. Here are several ways a smart sprinkler controller can help make your old grass new again.

Set watering schedules

One of the biggest benefits of using a smart sprinkler controller is the ability to create and manage watering schedules right from your phone. Remote management is an especially beneficial feature if you are away from home frequently. And, when you’re trying to turn your brown grass green, it may take tinkering around in the app to find a watering schedule that is just right.

With a customizable watering schedule, you can set the controller to water your lawn at a specific day and time. This gives you complete control over how much water your system is using.

Then, there are the days that may require more water than others, of course. For example, if you put down fertilizer to encourage growth, or if you’ve recently re-sodded your lawn, you may need to water more frequently than usual. If you decide you don't want to water your grass on a given day, altering the schedule is as easy as using the device's companion app. The feature is helpful if you’re away from home and want to make changes to your current sprinkler schedule—or you simply want the convenience of setting it from your couch.

Automate sprinkler cycles with weather prediction features

I n the same way you might open the weather app on your phone to check the radar, many smart sprinkler controllers, like the Rachio 3 and Netro Sprite, do the same when determining if the current watering schedule needs to be modified based on the forecast.

The devices can intuitively create and suggest custom watering schedules for you, taking into account local weather conditions and recent rain (using reputable meteorology databases like NOAA and The Weather Channel), further automating your sprinkler system with smarts. The feature can automatically skip a cycle if wet weather is in the forecast, saving you money and preventing overwatering.

The gadgets also pull local data about your lawn, such as soil type, sunlight exposure, and grass type, to determine the proper amount of water to keep your lawn lush. Your results will vary with features like smart watering, as it depends entirely on the climate in your region and what you have growing.

Help with drainage issues

If your yard tends to take on water quickly, a good smart sprinkler can help by breaking watering events into shorter, more frequent sessions instead of dousing it all at once. Too much water can cause weeds to flourish and brown patches to appear, which can stunt your grass's post-winter growth.