Proper Watering of Your Lawn
The following information is intended as an overview of proper irrigation practices in most lawn situations. That said, exceptions can and do apply depending on turfgrass species, turfgrass varieties, certain environmental conditions such as light availability, turfgrass management practices, soil types, soil pH, soil compaction levels, nematode population dynamics, and other factors that are beyond the scope of this general discussion. Following review of this information, if you feel that your lawn is watered properly and intermittent lack of water is not correlated to observed problems, then we invite you to contact our office at (407)532-8188 or email us at epls@bellsouth.net to schedule a consultation to explore other possible issues and offer possible solutions.
The single most important thing a property owner can do for their lawn is to water it properly. Too little water can be detrimental to both St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass lawns. Without sufficient water at the right intervals, your lawn will perform very poorly. However, it is equally important to know that numerous problems are caused by over-watering.
Over-watering leads to stunted roots, fungal diseases, leaching of nutrients, weed outbreaks, higher mole cricket populations, and faster thatch accumulation.
Watering schedules need to be adjusted with the seasons. Your lawn may need more frequent watering in July, and considerably less in January! It's important to learn how to operate the sprinkler controller so that the watering schedules can be changed as the seasons change.
It is best to turn off the automatic sprinkler system during periods of regular rainfall. A rain sensor can be installed that will do this for you. Often, in the winter months, as cold fronts pass through, it rains once every week or so. This may be all the water the lawn needs.
In the summer months many lawns develop dry patches only in certain areas. The tendency may be to water more often to compensate for lack of water in these dry patches. This practice should be avoided - if irrigation coverage lacks in certain areas, then running the system for longer periods will only lead to excessive water in well-covered areas while the dry areas will remain dry.
The single most important thing a property owner can do for their lawn is to water it properly. Too little water can be detrimental to both St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass lawns. Without sufficient water at the right intervals, your lawn will perform very poorly. However, it is equally important to know that numerous problems are caused by over-watering.
Over-watering leads to stunted roots, fungal diseases, leaching of nutrients, weed outbreaks, higher mole cricket populations, and faster thatch accumulation.
Watering schedules need to be adjusted with the seasons. Your lawn may need more frequent watering in July, and considerably less in January! It's important to learn how to operate the sprinkler controller so that the watering schedules can be changed as the seasons change.
It is best to turn off the automatic sprinkler system during periods of regular rainfall. A rain sensor can be installed that will do this for you. Often, in the winter months, as cold fronts pass through, it rains once every week or so. This may be all the water the lawn needs.
In the summer months many lawns develop dry patches only in certain areas. The tendency may be to water more often to compensate for lack of water in these dry patches. This practice should be avoided - if irrigation coverage lacks in certain areas, then running the system for longer periods will only lead to excessive water in well-covered areas while the dry areas will remain dry.
Some areas don't ever receive enough water due to poor irrigation design. The solution is to fix the sprinkler system, not to water more often, which will adversely affect the rest of the lawn!
In the winter, over-watering weakens the turf, making it susceptible to cold weather damage and weed proliferation. It's also impractical as well as irresponsible for lawn care professionals to apply the high amount of herbicides that are necessary to control the excessive number of weeds caused by too much water. The effects of over-watering may not be seen right away. The lawn may look lush and green for a long time, but eventually it will suffer from root damage, weed outbreaks, and poor color.
In the winter, over-watering weakens the turf, making it susceptible to cold weather damage and weed proliferation. It's also impractical as well as irresponsible for lawn care professionals to apply the high amount of herbicides that are necessary to control the excessive number of weeds caused by too much water. The effects of over-watering may not be seen right away. The lawn may look lush and green for a long time, but eventually it will suffer from root damage, weed outbreaks, and poor color.
So, what is the right way to water the lawn? In the summer it is rarely necessary to water any more than once every two days. In the winter, once a week is usually sufficient. In the spring and fall, try for a happy medium.
How long should the sprinklers run when they come on? The correct way to determine this is to set out coffee cans or cups in the lawn and see how long it takes to fill the containers with 3/4 inch to 1 inch of water. Then set the sprinklers in that zone to run for that length of time.
You can generally set the sprinkler times in the following way. Rotary sprinklers usually will take about 40 to 50 minutes to adequately water their zone. Fixed spray heads will take generally 15 to 20 minutes to produce 3/4 to 1 inch of water. Watering times will require adjusting based on catch can measurements, as described above.
It's best to water in the morning before dawn. Watering in the morning reduces evaporation caused by the hot sun. It also allows the sprinklers to cover properly because there is less wind. In addition, watering early in the day reduces the amount of time the grass blades stay wet, which mitigates fungal diseases.
Daytime watering should be avoided. Stronger winds during the day interrupt irrigation spray patterns, which leads to ineffective irrigation. Daytime watering also increases the likelihood of mowing the lawn while wet, and interferes with weekly mowing, fertilization, and weed and pest management.
Proper watering of the lawn can mean the difference between having an excellent lawn year around, and having a lawn that suffers from constant problems.
You can generally set the sprinkler times in the following way. Rotary sprinklers usually will take about 40 to 50 minutes to adequately water their zone. Fixed spray heads will take generally 15 to 20 minutes to produce 3/4 to 1 inch of water. Watering times will require adjusting based on catch can measurements, as described above.
It's best to water in the morning before dawn. Watering in the morning reduces evaporation caused by the hot sun. It also allows the sprinklers to cover properly because there is less wind. In addition, watering early in the day reduces the amount of time the grass blades stay wet, which mitigates fungal diseases.
Daytime watering should be avoided. Stronger winds during the day interrupt irrigation spray patterns, which leads to ineffective irrigation. Daytime watering also increases the likelihood of mowing the lawn while wet, and interferes with weekly mowing, fertilization, and weed and pest management.
Proper watering of the lawn can mean the difference between having an excellent lawn year around, and having a lawn that suffers from constant problems.
While we DO NOT offer irrigation repair or maintenance services, we can often pinpoint common irrigation deficiencies that lead to decline in lawns and landscapes. It is up to individual homeowners to ensure proper basic functioning of their irrigation systems. More often than not, homeowners are unaware of existing problems because of homeowners' self-described reasons such as the following. We encourage you to resolve such issues before hiring a professional service:
- "The sprinklers come on before I get up in the morning so I didn't know there was a problem".
- "I see the driveway wet in the morning so I know the sprinklers are fine".
- "Water is too expensive so I'm not watering".
- "My lawn guy is supposed to check my sprinklers".
- "Someone (wife, husband, lawn guy, etc.) keeps messing with the irrigation controller".
- "I can only water once a week and I don't want to get a fine".
- "Cars keep breaking my irrigation heads and I don't want to pay to keep fixing them".
Broken irrigation head
The most common irrigation problems that we observe are as follows:
- Declined areas are due to under- or over-watering.
- Poor irrigation coverage. This can be caused by many reasons, some of which are listed below as problematic on their own.
- Clogged irrigation heads. Spray head filters and orifices should be cleaned out periodically as part of irrigation maintenance.
- Irrigation heads get stuck under grass stems and don't pop up. This happens very often. Simply cut the grass stem that is blocking the irrigation head. Raising the sprinkler head may also help.
- Irrigation head is too low in the ground or too short to clear the grass. Raising the irrigation head to proper level is part of irrigation maintenance. In general we recommend a minimum of six inches spray heads.
- Broken or leaking irrigation head or pipe. Even one broken or leaking head or pipe can significantly reduce pressure to the entire zone, leading to poor coverage.
- Irrigation controller is turned off. This happens all the time. It rained last week so someone (wife, husband, uncle, cousin, landscaper, etc.) turned the system off and forgot to turn it back on.
- Irrigation controller was reset due to a power outage. Some irrigation controllers will reset to water daily at 8:00 am for five minutes per zone.
- Problems with irrigation solenoids and valves. These are electrical parts and they do break.