Tips for Homeowners to Maintain a Healthy Lawn During a Drought

Proper watering practices help maintain a healthy lawn that has fewer stress and insect problems throughout the year. Below you will find some tips from the University of Florida that will help you achieve proper watering in the absence of rain in between your regularly scheduled Nader's Pest Raiders lawn service.

When is the best time to water?

• The best time to water is in the early morning, usually between 4 AM and 8 AM. This allows the water to get to the roots before it is evaporated by the sun.

 

How long should I water?

• Spray zones should be watered for 20 minutes, while rotor zones should be watered for 45 minutes with ½ to ¾ inch of water per irrigation event.
• Spot watering dry spots with a water hose may be required to help areas not receiving adequate irrigation coverage during a drought.

 

How often should I run my irrigation system?

• For an already healthy lawn, water 2-3 times per week. During the summer months, healthy St. Augustine can only go 1 to 5 days between irrigation events based on the heat index. Weakened turf needs even more water.

 

Always follow local and state laws regarding watering restrictions. Florida residents can use automatic sprinklers 2 times a week. Hand watering hot spots or weak lawns is allowed, as long as it is after 6 PM and before 8 AM.

If you are following the above Frequency and Duration and still have “hot spots,” you may need to have your Sprinkler System checked by a professional.

Additionally, parts of Florida are currently experiencing severe drought conditions that are having a negative impact on the health and overall appearance of lawns.

In addition to the Irrigation recommendations mentioned above, we recommend the following measures for mowing and protecting your turf grass:

• Please delay mowing of damaged or stressed lawns until your area has received sufficient rainfall and your turf grass is showing signs of regeneration.
• For those that must mow, raise the mowing height to 4” or more and rather than mowing once per week, adjust your schedule to cut every ten (10) days.
• Not all lawns will show immediate response and recovery due to increased rainfall. Bahia will respond rather quickly but Zoysia lawns may be delayed for up to four weeks. St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Centipede should show signs of improved appearances within 2-3 weeks.

 

Nader’s Pest Raiders protects lawns in the most effective and environmentally responsible manner available on the market today. Our approach is Green Industry Best Management Practices certified by the University of Florida.

If your lawn needs a kickstart, contact Nader's today for a free evaluation!