Lawn Care Summer Update

 

Are You Watering Correctly?

You may be running up a substantial water bill and still not be giving your lawn the water it needs at the right time and right amounts.

First let’s discuss the time frame for proper watering. Water the lawn at a time when the water has the best chance to soak deeply into the soil. Avoid watering during the hot times of the day. The best time to water is in the early morning hours (between 2AM and 6 AM) when the dew has already set. The grass is already wet during this time, so you are not extending the time that the surface of the ground is wet. This is important because during the day excessive surface moisture leads to fungus activity and heat scorch. If you do not have an in-ground automatic irrigation system, you can purchase a battery-operated timer at your local lawn and garden store that attaches to your spigot. You can program this timer to water your lawn at whatever time you desire. It will shut off when you want it to, and all you have to do is move the hose and sprinkler for the next section of lawn on the next available watering day. The entire lawn does not have to be watered at once.

Now let’s discuss the frequency of watering and the amount of water you should apply.  Apply 1-1 1/2 inches of water to each section of your lawn twice per week during periods when we do not receive equivalent rainfall. The amount of time needed to apply this much water depends directly on your water pressure. Put a rain gauge or a tuna can in the path of the sprinkler and see how long it takes to apply the correct amount. This may change from zone to zone depending on the size of the area being watered. You may find that the water begins to run off and not soak in well before you have applied 1-1 1/2 inches. If this is the case, simply stop watering and resume the process after the water has had a chance to soak in to the soil.

 

Protect Your Lawn
from disease, heat, and drougth stress

Your turf is at the mercy of Mother Nature at this time of year. We unfortunately have no control over when it rains, how much it rains, how often, or how hot it gets during the summer. Disease, heat, and drought stress are all common problems that many lawns encounter this time of year. One of the most important things you can do to help your grass to protect itself from these problems is to mow often and with a sharp mower blade.

The general rule to follow when mowing is called the 1/3  mowing rule.  This simply means to mow the lawn often enough so not more than 1/3 of the grass blades are being removed at one time. An example of the 1/3 rule for bermuda being mowed at 1 ½” would be to mow before the grass reaches 2” tall. A similar example for a fescue lawn being kept at 3” would be to mow it before it reaches 4” tall. You will probably need to mow the lawn more than once per week in order to subscribe to the 1/3 mowing rule. Consistent mowing at the proper height reduces the stress inflicted on your grass, and it allows the grass to better cope with unfavorable conditions.

Mowing with a dull blade can be extremely harmful to your lawn even if you are mowing it often enough. A dull mower blade rips the grass tips rather than cutting them, and this allows much of the water normally held within the leaf blades to escape.  Lawns mowed with a dull blade are much more susceptible to drought and heat stress. The stress induced also weakens the immune systems of the grass and negatively affects its ability to naturally fight fungus and disease.

 

Brown Patch Fungus

Afternoon and evening rainfall, mowing with a dull blade, infrequent mowing while not bagging clippings, and hot humid weather are all things that can cause fungus activity on your lawn. Some varieties of turfgrasses are simply more susceptible to fungus activity than others, and they tend to have fungus problems even under proper care. Some fungi merely cause aesthetic problems to the turf. Others, however, will cause irreparable damage and death to your lawn.

Unfortunately, there is no way to rid the environment of these airborne fungi. If warm humid conditions are present, there is always the chance that disease can affect your lawn no matter how well it is being maintained. Application of fungicides will effectively kill active fungus feeding on your grass. But the fungicide will only last 10-30 days, depending on which fungicide is used. If favorable conditions remain beyond that 10-30 day period, more of these microscopic fungus spores will simply replace the ones that were killed, and damage will resume to your turf unless the fungicide is re-applied.

Brown Patch fungus in fescue lawns is one of the diseases that can rapidly kill the turf unless it is treated with a fungicide. Brown patch is characterized by the development of irregular, circular areas a few inches to several feet in diameter. These areas will usually appear as brownish to grayish patches. This fungus can spread rapidly throughout the lawn. Be sure to contact our office if you see any signs of the disease.