| Helpful Tips & Information |
WATERING GUIDE Like all living things, grass, plants and trees need water for growth and survival. As we all know, water is one of our most precious resources but because it flows so easily from our faucets, we don’t tend to appreciate its value. Watering our lawns and landscapes can be a common way that water is wasted. Below are some helpful tips on proper watering and conservation.
How much to water? In many parts of the country, there are areas that get enough rainfall for grass to grow without supplemental watering … ours isn’t one of them. In general, most turf grasses need ¾”-1” of water per week to maintain a healthy color and active growth. However, during the high temperatures of summertime, it is best to allow your lawn to naturally slow down in growth during those extreme conditions. Watering infrequently is recommended but thoroughly watering when you do so moisture will soak down to the root zone. Deep and infrequent watering will maintain a healthy root system while light and frequent watering promotes a shallow root system and germination of weed seeds. When to water? The most efficient and beneficial time to water your lawn is in the early hours of the day between 5-10am when evaporation loss will be at its lowest. At that time of day, it’s also typically cooler which gives your grass the best possible chance of absorption allowing more water to reach the root zone. Afternoon watering is acceptable but wind, which is sometimes typical of summer afternoons, can affect the coverage area and amount of water that actually gets to your lawn. Evening watering will cut down on evaporation as well as morning, but since it will stay wet all night, it may increase the chance of fungal diseases. Over and under watering Too much water can cause as much damage and too little water. A common mistake people make is in thinking that they need to water more if their lawn is having issues. Over watering does more than just deplete the water supply. It can lead to excessive blade growth with more frequent mowing and make the plant more prone to pests, molds, summer fungal diseases and a shallow root system. How can you tell if your grass needs water? The blade color will turn from a dark green to a lighter green and the grass blades will not spring back if you walk across the lawn and your footprints will be visible. Sprinklers and irrigation systems For convenient, automatic, and efficient watering, installing an irrigation system in your turf areas and a drip system for your planter beds is the way to go. Several zones are set up to spray your lawn and garden with a consistent pressure at different intervals during each water cycle. Sprinkler heads are the key to providing uniform coverage without wasting water. Always adjust the heads so you aren’t watering your driveways and sidewalks. Do make sure that the spray from your sprinklers will overlap to assure complete coverage of the entire lawn area. Water should never be applied at a rate faster than it can be absorbed by the soil. Using a gentler sprinkler that puts out a lower amount of water at a time will allow the soil to have time to absorb it. Along with using a gentler sprinkler, you’ll want to make sure the water sprays low just above the grass so the water covers the lawn better and won’t as easily be blown by the wind. Watering trees, plants, shrubs and flower beds
Sierra Pacific watering schedule for Reno & Sparks Nevada Know your days:
Do your part to help conserve water in your home town!
Other factors – mowing and aerating Mowing Lawn mower blade height and sharpness are important factors. Keeping your grass a touch longer encourages grass roots to grow deeper and the blades to hold moisture longer; they will even shade and cool the soil. A dull mower blade will tear the tops of the grass blades off which can promote disease, so keep it sharpened. When you cut your lawn, it’s best to leave the clippings on the lawn. As they decompose, they release nitrogen slowly to your lawn … naturally. As you know, nitrogen is an essential nutrient that the grass needs for growth and color. Lawn clippings not only return valuable nutrients to the soil but they help the lawn to retain moisture as well. Pay close attention to those clippings; if they don’t decompose well, they could build up as thatch. (More on thatching below.)
Mowing height recommendations: a good rule of thumb – 3” 1-1.5” Bermuda grass Zoysia grass 2-2.5” Centipede grass 2.5-3” Tall fescue Kentucky bluegrass Perenial ryegrass Fineleaf fescues St. Augustine grass Aeration Aeration is the process of poking holes in turf areas and removing soil plugs or cores. It reduces soil compaction and improves water, nutrient and air movement by allowing them to move freely into the root zone. Soil compaction can come from high foot traffic, pets, or too much clay in your soil and is a common reason for aerating. The other three reasons should be obvious … we all need water, nutrients and air to survive! Aeration can be done at any time that the ground is not frozen but it is not recommended to do during the hot, dry months of summer. Late summer, early fall is a more appropriate time to aerate after the heat of summer has passed. A healthy lawn that has no soil compaction or high traffic may not be in need of aeration. Thatching As we mentioned earlier, leaving your grass clippings on the lawn after mowing sends vital nutrients back to your soil. However, if the clippings don’t decompose well they can, over time, build up as thatch. De-thatching lawns is the process of removing the decaying layer of dead grass and is accomplished by raking out the thatch. This will break up and loosen the thatch and only needs to be done if the build up is excessive.
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