WATER!!!!
This spring has seen very little rainfall and as a result cool season tall fescue has begun to suffer immensely. It is vital that your lawn be receiving at least 1 inch of water per week during these periods of drought.
So how do I know if my lawn is getting enough water in the first place? Some tell tale signs of a water stressed lawn are purplish blades and “tracks” after you walk on or mow the turf. If you walk on the grass and the blades do not pop right back up they more than likely do not have enough turgor pressure. You can also notice if the soil begins to recede from the sidewalks forming a large dry crack.
Now, let’s review some of the basics of proper watering techniques.
First, try to always water in the early morning. Watering in the morning means that less water will evaporate before it percolates into the soil and that the grass blades will not remain wet for long periods of time (which promotes fungus).
Water longer, less frequently. Watering everyday for a few minutes may actually cause you more headaches than you bargained for. Watering for short periods of time only dampens the first inch or two of the soil causing the turf to develop a shallow root system. Shallow roots equal decreased nutrient and mineral absorption and decreased drought tolerance. There is no magic number of minutes to water for to achieve a deep penetration. This will vary based on your soil type and sprinkler. The only way to determine how long you should water for is trial and error. Run the water for 15 minutes and then probe the soil. If it is only wet in the upper two inches then you need to water longer. Water for another 5 minutes and then check again. Repeat until the soil is moist a good 4 to 6 inches down (moist not drenched, we don’t want to make it muddy).
You will also need to check to see the volume of water that you are applying. Often times sprinkler heads become misaligned or out of adjustment and can begin to water unevenly. To test this take several empty cans and place them around the lawn. Run your sprinklers for the amount of time determined in the above step and then check the cans. They should all have an equal amount of water in them! If they do not then you many need to adjust your watering system. This will also tell you how many inches of water you are applying during your sprinkler cycle. Simply check the depth of the water in the can. Make sure that you will have a least one inch of water applied per week.
After you have fine tuned your watering to provide an even coverage, adequate volume and proper penetration remember that more isn’t always better. Excessive watering can lead to excessive blade growth, requiring extra fertilization and more frequent mowing. Excessive watering will also cause increased runoff of fertilizer, draining it straight into the Chesapeake Bay. Be responsible. Excessive water also leads to increased fungal diseases, such as brown patch.
Proper watering is one of the most essential keys to that perfect lawn. If you take the time to do it right it will make all of the other tasks that much easier. You will reduce your fertilizer needs, prevent excessive blade growth, keep your water bill low, and help keep our waterways clean. And that green lawn will make all of your neighbors ask you how you did it!
Any questions or comments? Let us know!
Eric Sherwood
(757) 696-0249
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Anonymous
January 28th, 2011 at 9:13 am
:-’ I am really thankful to this topic because it really gives useful information ~`;