Mowing Tips
Mowing makes a big difference in the looks of your lawn. Keeping the blades sharp, changing mowing patterns, and mowing often enough and at the right height, will all help to keep your turf green, thick, and free of weeds. Mowing too short exposes thin turf to excessive heat and weed growth. A lawn that is maintained at 3 1/2-4 inches in height will increase the turfs density and root system.
Tips on Watering
Your Lawn
Your lawn needs at least 1” of water per week to remain green and healthy. Too little water during dry periods can increase insect, weed and disease problems. Too much water is the single leading cause of pre-emergent break down and weeds, crabgrass, and nutsedge are a result.
Deep infrequent watering to a soil depth of 6” to 8” is what we recommend. We recommend you water 2x a week in the spring and fall and 3x a week in the summer. After your watering cycle, check the soil depth with a screwdriver into the soil. It should go down easily 6-8 inches. Add or subtract watering times until you reach this desired depth. Sandy soils should add an extra watering day. To avoid fungus problems, the best time to water is when the sun comes up! No night time watering!
Tips on Watering Restrictions
DROUGHT WATERING RESTRICTIONS WATERING 2X A WEEK
Your lawn needs about 1-1.5 in. of water per WEEK. You can accomplish this by watering just 2 times per week. That means you need to apply about .5 to .75 inches of water per watering day.
TEST YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Once you know your sprinkler output per hour, use the chart to determine the minutes to irrigate each week. Then divide it into 2 days, and again divide time by 2 cycles each watering day, to accomplish deep watering. Run times at 4am-7am works best. Splitting watering times will allow the soil to promote a deeper grass root system and reduce water waste and runoff.
Check the efficiency and depth of water penetration to the soil is easy with an 8 in. screwdriver. If it goes into the too easily try removing several minutes each cycle. If it only goes down only 3-4” increase watering by a few minutes. Your highest needs will be in June-August. If you experience dry areas in the lawn you will have to address the sprinkler system efficiency.
MOWING
Mowing and watering go hand in hand, raise mower height to 3 ½ inches or the highest setting. Only cut off 1/3 of the blade at mowing time. This height will help shade the soil from the sun and promote a deeper root system. Mulching will add additional nutrients and moisture.
The Fertilizer treatments that we apply are slow-release and will not damage the turf. Just water on your next scheduled watering day. If you have any questions, please call the office at 209-599-7722, 925-803-1122, or 707-428-5296 and we will be glad to answer any additional questions you might have!
Other Helpful Tips
NUTSEDGE
There is no pre-emergent for the control of nutsedge. What post-emergent controls are available are only effective in the early stages of the plant, and can only be applied in cooler temperatures of under 90 degrees for the day. Frequent watering such as every day, or morning and evening watering should be avoided. This plant thrives in sun and light with frequent watering patterns. Please read watering tips to help control nutsedge.
MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms sometimes called toadstools are the reproductive fruiting structures of some kinds of fungi. Most fungi in lawns are beneficial because they decompose organic matter thereby releasing nutrients that are then available for plant growth. Picking mushrooms soon after they appear, prevents the spores from spreading to new sights. Always avoid mowing over mushrooms too because of this reason. The primary reason for removing mushrooms from lawns is to keep them away from children and pets and to improve the lawn’s appearance.
BERMUDA GRASS
Love it or hate it, Bermuda grass is here to stay in this region. There are no herbicide controls for Bermuda grass in lawns. We can overseed the lawn in the fall with a perineal Ryegrass, or we can kill off sections for replanting. The best time to kill off Bermuda grass is when the plant is dormancy in October.
BROADLEAF WEEDS
Weeds are simply undesirable plants growing in a location it is not wanted. The first line of defense is a healthy thick turf. A thick healthy turf chokes out places for weeds to grow. Thin bare areas are nearly impossible to prevent weed infestation. They should be reseeded or resodded. Post-emergent weed sprays are only effective in controlling existing weeds. That is why we time our pre-emergent applications as the first line of defense against broadleaf weeds.
Turf Disease
Most turf diseases in California are the result of infection by fungi. These are microscopic plants with no leaves, roots, or stems, and cannot manufacture their own food. They rely on living plants and decaying organic materials for their existence.
Three conditions are necessary for a disease to develop- the presence of the fungal organism, a suitable host (turf), and favorable environmental conditions. Temperature and moisture are the two biggest environmental factors.
Not all diseases are created equal. Some will germinate in mild temperatures and moist conditions, others in hot, humid wet conditions. Since all fungi need moisture, irrigation becomes a major player in the equation.
It is important to water deeply and infrequently. Water early in the morning, rather than late in the evening. This allows the plant to dry out during the day, and not remain in a moist environment during the most susceptible time of the day. Low spots or areas that receive excessive water or poor drainage are breeding ground for disease to establish.
What you see is not always what you have. A small series of circular areas may in fact be any number of diseases; however, it could also be pet damage, surface insects, or localized dry spots. It is important to diagnose correctly before applying costly fungicides which may not provide any benefit.
Rx Lawn Care Solutions will provide the right diagnosis and treatment to help your lawn recover. For additional information contact us for a free lawn care analysis.