Zone by water need, not by convenience
Lawn, shrub beds, and pots all want different amounts and frequencies. Grouping them on one valve guarantees that at least one is wrong.
- Separate lawn from beds
- Separate sun from shade
- Put pots and vegetables on their own zone
Pressure and coverage
Too many heads on one zone drops pressure and leaves dry rings. Zones should be sized to the available flow, with head spacing that overlaps rather than just touching.
Controllers and tank integration
A controller should run early in the morning, adjust seasonally, and skip after rain. Where municipal supply is unreliable, tank and pump integration keeps the system usable through outages.