Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
- Messages
- 33,324
July Water Saving Tips!
Folks, it was 100 today in DFW for the first time this year. Thank your lucky stars it took this long to get there. I am hoping our summer remains as damp as it’s been, but I’m not holding my breath.
First, some ways to combat the heat for your turf:
1. Raise your mower blade to 3-3.5 inches. St Augustine and Zoysia turf especially benefit from raising your mower blades during the months of July and August. Keeping your turf higher will allow moisture to stay in the turf for a longer period of time as the taller blades shade the soil surface from the sun’s baking rays.
2. Move your watering start times to late evening through July and August. This will allow the turf to benefit from the water for hours longer as opposed to morning waterings. Mark your calendars now to move back to morning waterings on LABOR DAY.
3. It is helpful to water your lawn immediately after it’s mowed. ASAP also works, even if only five minutes. The point is - when the blades of turf are cut, it’s the equivalent of an open wound for a human. Grass recovers much quicker than humans and water is the quick answer. When a lawn is mowed and is allowed to go a few days in the sun without water, the tips of the blades will burn and turn brown, splitting and fraying. This leads to stress.
4. If you’re under twice a week water restrictions, you can run four cycles over those two days and get your four waterings is, if needed. One watering day one, set a cycle for 12:01 a.m. and then another cycle for the following evening at 7:01 p.m. Repeat this on the second day, again if needed.
5. Do not fertilize during July. It’s just too hot and nitrogen just makes a lawn thirstier than normal. Additionally, a lawn can “burn†in these temperatures with the heat.
Example of before and after Hydretain treatment
6. Hydretain is a product that I’ll again highly recommend. You can learn more at www.hydretain.com. A poster on another site known as “Wooderson†is a customer of mine. Last year we applied Hydretain to his lawn. He is in sales and travels a lot. In one instance he left town and forgot to program his sprinkler system. Three weeks later he returned and discovered the goof. Yet, his lawn was still green and thick. He was impressed enough to write me about it.
Weed Eating
Watch for this. About mid-season many lawns will begin experiencing what is known as St Augustine Recession. This is noticed at the edging of flower beds where St Augustine turf once butted right up to the edging, but has receded back several inches.
This is actually caused by a weed eater that is being angled down toward the ground on the bed border side. Initially, this looks ok but over weeks will cause the St Augustine to begin withdrawing from the border. Most homeowners don’t notice until it’s bad. This is remedied by addressing it with your lawn service and asking them to level out the weed eater. The turf at the borders should be the same height as the turf in the middle of the lawn.
The Next Insect To Watch For - The Chinch Bug
Chinch Bugs have already started feeding in small numbers. Most homeowners have no idea what they are or what they do. They are a small insect that feeds on the moisture of St Augustine and Bermuda turf grass. They normally begin feeding in late August and evidence of their damage/presence can be seen most often near concrete sources (sidewalks, driveways, stone bordering) because those places are hotter than other locations in the lawn. Chinch’s enjoy the heat. You can test for chinch by using an old trick of a coffee can and soapy water.
Chinch Bug damage shown near concrete driveway. Chinch Bug up close (inset)
Chinch will leave turf looking almost burnt, like someone took a blow torch and burned it. All the moisture is removed from the grass, killing it.
Chinch can be treated successfully but as always, retail products are going to require repeated use.
Trimming Oaks
The March through June window where it is not safe to trim oak trees is over. Oak trees are vulnerable to Oak Wilt during this time and open wounds on trees makes them much more threatened. However, it is best to wait until early fall to trim if possible.
Seasonal Flowers
Seasonal flowers such as Begonias or Perriwinkles or Wave Petunias and such as not invincible. They may require some additional watering during the hot months of July and August. If you feel a fertilizer is in order, go mild and apply lightly and make sure you provide plenty of water afterwards.
Some questions that have come in over the past few weeks:
Question - Can I plant shrubs and trees during July when it’s hot?
Answer - Absolutely. Just know that you’ll need to supplement the watering in the first month. Don’t expect a lot of growth but as fall approaches that will pick up.
Question - Is it too late to trim my roses?
Answer - Yes, it really is. Trimming them now will stress them as the leaves that once protected the base and interior of the plant are gone, more heat gets in = quicker evaporation. Wait until early fall.
Question - Is it okay to sod right now with it being as hot as it is?
Answer - Yes, and I wouldn’t hesitate. St Augustine, Bermuda and Zoysia turf LOVE heat. You provide heat, sun, and water and you’ll get successful turf. All you have to do is provide the water. You need to water every day for the first two weeks (evenings), then water as you would the rest of your lawn. You can add drought tolerance to your lawn for the long term by adding Expanded Shale to the soil surface before laying down the sod. Once the sod is down, you can apply Hydretain to give it even more drought tolerance for the here and now. DO NOT fertilize sod until after 90 days from installation.
Folks, it was 100 today in DFW for the first time this year. Thank your lucky stars it took this long to get there. I am hoping our summer remains as damp as it’s been, but I’m not holding my breath.
First, some ways to combat the heat for your turf:
1. Raise your mower blade to 3-3.5 inches. St Augustine and Zoysia turf especially benefit from raising your mower blades during the months of July and August. Keeping your turf higher will allow moisture to stay in the turf for a longer period of time as the taller blades shade the soil surface from the sun’s baking rays.
2. Move your watering start times to late evening through July and August. This will allow the turf to benefit from the water for hours longer as opposed to morning waterings. Mark your calendars now to move back to morning waterings on LABOR DAY.
3. It is helpful to water your lawn immediately after it’s mowed. ASAP also works, even if only five minutes. The point is - when the blades of turf are cut, it’s the equivalent of an open wound for a human. Grass recovers much quicker than humans and water is the quick answer. When a lawn is mowed and is allowed to go a few days in the sun without water, the tips of the blades will burn and turn brown, splitting and fraying. This leads to stress.
4. If you’re under twice a week water restrictions, you can run four cycles over those two days and get your four waterings is, if needed. One watering day one, set a cycle for 12:01 a.m. and then another cycle for the following evening at 7:01 p.m. Repeat this on the second day, again if needed.
5. Do not fertilize during July. It’s just too hot and nitrogen just makes a lawn thirstier than normal. Additionally, a lawn can “burn†in these temperatures with the heat.
Example of before and after Hydretain treatment
6. Hydretain is a product that I’ll again highly recommend. You can learn more at www.hydretain.com. A poster on another site known as “Wooderson†is a customer of mine. Last year we applied Hydretain to his lawn. He is in sales and travels a lot. In one instance he left town and forgot to program his sprinkler system. Three weeks later he returned and discovered the goof. Yet, his lawn was still green and thick. He was impressed enough to write me about it.
Weed Eating
Watch for this. About mid-season many lawns will begin experiencing what is known as St Augustine Recession. This is noticed at the edging of flower beds where St Augustine turf once butted right up to the edging, but has receded back several inches.
This is actually caused by a weed eater that is being angled down toward the ground on the bed border side. Initially, this looks ok but over weeks will cause the St Augustine to begin withdrawing from the border. Most homeowners don’t notice until it’s bad. This is remedied by addressing it with your lawn service and asking them to level out the weed eater. The turf at the borders should be the same height as the turf in the middle of the lawn.
The Next Insect To Watch For - The Chinch Bug
Chinch Bugs have already started feeding in small numbers. Most homeowners have no idea what they are or what they do. They are a small insect that feeds on the moisture of St Augustine and Bermuda turf grass. They normally begin feeding in late August and evidence of their damage/presence can be seen most often near concrete sources (sidewalks, driveways, stone bordering) because those places are hotter than other locations in the lawn. Chinch’s enjoy the heat. You can test for chinch by using an old trick of a coffee can and soapy water.
Chinch Bug damage shown near concrete driveway. Chinch Bug up close (inset)
Chinch will leave turf looking almost burnt, like someone took a blow torch and burned it. All the moisture is removed from the grass, killing it.
Chinch can be treated successfully but as always, retail products are going to require repeated use.
Trimming Oaks
The March through June window where it is not safe to trim oak trees is over. Oak trees are vulnerable to Oak Wilt during this time and open wounds on trees makes them much more threatened. However, it is best to wait until early fall to trim if possible.
Seasonal Flowers
Seasonal flowers such as Begonias or Perriwinkles or Wave Petunias and such as not invincible. They may require some additional watering during the hot months of July and August. If you feel a fertilizer is in order, go mild and apply lightly and make sure you provide plenty of water afterwards.
Some questions that have come in over the past few weeks:
Question - Can I plant shrubs and trees during July when it’s hot?
Answer - Absolutely. Just know that you’ll need to supplement the watering in the first month. Don’t expect a lot of growth but as fall approaches that will pick up.
Question - Is it too late to trim my roses?
Answer - Yes, it really is. Trimming them now will stress them as the leaves that once protected the base and interior of the plant are gone, more heat gets in = quicker evaporation. Wait until early fall.
Question - Is it okay to sod right now with it being as hot as it is?
Answer - Yes, and I wouldn’t hesitate. St Augustine, Bermuda and Zoysia turf LOVE heat. You provide heat, sun, and water and you’ll get successful turf. All you have to do is provide the water. You need to water every day for the first two weeks (evenings), then water as you would the rest of your lawn. You can add drought tolerance to your lawn for the long term by adding Expanded Shale to the soil surface before laying down the sod. Once the sod is down, you can apply Hydretain to give it even more drought tolerance for the here and now. DO NOT fertilize sod until after 90 days from installation.
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