The most important thing any lawn needs to maintain good color and health throughout the year is water.
On average, your turf requires one inch of water per week. This includes any rainfall that occurs. When you water, early morning is the best time. This allows the grass to dry quicker without losing evaporation like you would if you watered during the hotter parts of the day. Watering at night is also bad for turf because the grass stays wet longer which promotes turf diseases that can harm the plant. Water your lawn deeply and infrequently. Try watering a third of an inch three times per week when there is no rain.
The best way to water your lawn is on an “as needed” basis. The easiest method to determine whether your turf needs water or not is to use the “footprinting” technique. If you step off the grass and you can still see your footprints there after a few seconds, your turf needs water. Another way to tell if your turf needs water is to look at the leaf blades. Dry leaf blades will fold in half making your turf look spindly. The turf will also take on a blueish grey color. If you see any of these symptoms in your turf, it’s time to irrigate.
Many irrigation systems are poorly designed, which can cause problems for your landscape. Improper sprinkler head placement and adjustment is the number one reason for poor irrigation coverage. You should have your system checked, at least once a year, to make sure it is running properly. The lack of rainfall this time of year, makes identifying irrigation issues much easier. Hot spots in your lawn will develop in areas that are not getting the coverage they need. Adjustments and/or repairs may be needed to solve these issues.
Improper watering can have devastating effects to any lawn. There is no quicker way to loose a lawn than improper watering practices.
Call Baldin Turf Lawn & Landscape, Inc. (850)897-3073 Niceville (850)832-4212 Panama City Beach for all your Irrigation needs. We have a Licensed Irrigator on staff.