Watering:

Proper irrigation coverage is essential to maintaining a healthy lawn. Did you know that water makes up 70-80% of the weight of grass blades? This is why water is so important and more importantly that it’s done right. Things like too much water or not enough can have drastic effects on the appearance and health of your lawn. Florida summers typically produce high amounts of rainfall, however even a few days with no rain can start to have an effect on the grass.katiewatering

To water properly, the irrigation cycle should finish in the early morning hours. Ideally, you want the irrigation to shut off just before sun up. This is the time of day when wind is typically not an issue and the sun is not up yet, helping minimize evaporation so that more of your water stays put and the grass takes it up.

A good rule of thumb is to check all irrigation heads at least once a month. Many times heads break, get clogged or a leak occurs. Any deficiency in sprinkler head coverage will result in a visible problem with the lawn. As areas of the lawn weaken from a lack of water it becomes more enticing to damaging insects like chinch bugs.

Most lawns in our area of Florida require up to a 1”-1.5” of water per week.  The best method to check the amount of water being applied is to use rain gauges or empty tuna fish cans. Place them throughout the yard and measure the amount of water to determine if you’re getting enough. If areas lack sufficient water, then either increase the irrigation time or adjust irrigation heads for better coverage until it reaches the desired amount. The ideal method is to get more water down in a single irrigation cycle than doing several short watering’s. Deep waterings encourage deep roots, which ultimately will make for a healthier lawn.

Remember to always follow local ordinances as to when you can water in order to help protect one of our most important natural resources.

Things to remember:

  • Check irrigation no less than once a month in the summer
  • Measure amount of water
  • Place empty cans in areas lacking watering, then adjust accordingly
  • Water is used up rapidly by turf
  • Most lawns require 1”-1.5” of water per week
  • Irrigation should be off by sun up
  • Longer watering times (>30 min) are better than short (<15 min) frequent ones

Mowing:

mowheightMowing plays a very important role in the overall appearance and health of your lawn. Next to insufficient watering, it is one of the biggest factors in turf decline.

Here are some helpful things you can do to ensure your getting the most out of your lawn.

  • Keep blades sharp. Dull blades shred the tips and invite disease and discoloration to the lawn.
  • Alternate mowing patterns every other cut: Mowing consistently in the same pattern or direction causes the turf to become worn out, causes ruts, compacts the soil below and reduces it’s tolerance to withstand weeds, insects and disease. Alternating patterns plays a huge role in keeping the grass looking good, long term.
  • Mowing Height: Often times mowers are set to a height and then left there. Be aware that not all grass is the same. Know your turf type and know the mowing height. (See chart below). Mowing height should be set so as not to remove more than 1/3 of the grass blades.
  • Mowing shaded areas: Keep setting higher in shady areas, since the grass may already be struggling from a lack of sufficient sunlight, keep the grass a little taller helps to reduce the stress on the grass.
  • Mow dry: Mow the lawn when it is dry. Wet lawns and mowing don’t work well together. Mowing wet turf can promote disease and can clog the mower causing uneven cuts and a less then desirable looking lawn.
  • Use a mulching blade- Recycling grass clippings back into the lawn is a great way to recycle nutrients! Your grass will thank you for it. **
  • Clean mower: Cleaning the mower when done is an important step in maintaining a lawn. Weed seeds and even disease like Brown Patch Fungus can spread through the use of mowers. When you’re done, clean it.

** The only time we recommend bagging the clippings is if there is a high amount of weeds in the lawn, especially weeds like sedge. Once weeds have come under control, resume mowing without a bag to recycle nutrients.

Know your height

Grass Type                             Mowing Height

Bahia grass                                            4”

Bermuda                                         0.75-1.5”

St. Augustine (Floratam)              3.5-4.0”

St. Augustine (dwarf varieties)    2.0-2.5”

Zoysiagrass                                       1.5-2.5”