Irrigation 2014

Just because you have irrigation, doesn’t mean you need to just have it activated and turn it loose! Most of our summer turf weed issues(and a lot if disease issues) are GREATLY MAGNIFIED by over irrigation that starts in April. Please take the time to know how often your system runs and how long it runs. If you can get your system to only water 1/2 inch, twice weekly, that is adequate starting point. Never water more than 3 days a week! We need soil surface to dry between waterings, PLEASE. This encourages turf roots to seek water below instead of getting a regular drink at surface every other day! Most of the summer weeds like nutsedge, Dallisgrass, and johnsongrass thrive on moisture in top 1/4 inch of soil. Combine moisture with warm soil temps, and BAM, you have a mess. Do you know how much water your system puts out in a given amount of time? Every system can be different based on water pressure and nozzle size. Put a cup out and see what you catch in say 25 minutes. 90% of the time, if you are watering with a rotary type sprinkler, you are wasting water if you are applying less than 1/2 inch per watering. I have people tell me all the time either they have no idea how long there system runs or how much it puts out. Its worth finding out! It is actually beneficial if turf becomes slightly water stressed before watering. It reduces the possibility of creating “sissy grass” that doesn’t develop roots and can’t withstand summer stress. Help us help you by checking out your irrigation settings. Thanks!