Smart Irrigation Controllers & Moisture Sensors
Smart controllers are irrigation timers that automatically adjust watering run times and schedules in response to changing conditions—helping reduce waste, runoff, and overwatering stress in your landscape.
Smart controllers work best when your irrigation system is already set up efficiently (good head coverage, matched precipitation, and valves grouped by plant needs).
What smart controllers do
Smart controllers use weather data and/or sensors to adjust irrigation. As conditions change (heat, wind, humidity, rain), the controller increases or decreases watering to better match plant needs.
Many models can also pause watering during rain or when temperatures are low—helping prevent runoff, puddling, and fungal issues.
How much water can they save?
In many landscapes, smart controllers can reduce outdoor water use—often in the range of 15–30% and sometimes more—especially where irrigation schedules were previously set “by habit” rather than by seasonal need.
They also help reduce overwatering, which can contribute to root problems, fungal disease, and pest pressure.
Moisture sensors (often the most efficient option)
Moisture sensors can be added to many existing irrigation systems and can effectively “smartify” a controller by measuring soil moisture at the root zone.
Garden View’s opinion is that, in many cases, moisture sensors can be even more efficient than weather-only smart controllers because they respond to what’s happening in your soil, not just regional weather estimates.
Before you upgrade: make sure the system is efficient
Smart controllers can’t fix an inefficient irrigation layout. If your system is poorly matched, the savings and performance benefits are reduced dramatically.
- Segregate valves by plant needs: group similar plant types and exposure on the same valve (lawns separate from shrubs, etc.). (Read our article on segregating valves)
- Improve sprinkler head selection and layout: sprinkler heads should provide good coverage and matched precipitation rates.
- Check irrigation uniformity: uneven coverage leads to overwatering some zones just to keep dry spots alive. (Improve your sprinkler efficiency)
Tip: The best results come from pairing smart control with good hardware (matched heads, correct pressure, no leaks) and a layout that waters “like with like.”