How To Check If Your Lawn Needs Aeration
If you have patchy, struggling grass, soil compaction may be the cause. Testing your soil to see if it is in need of aeration is a simple task. Just follow these steps:
- Soil should be moist when testing.
- Push a screwdriver into the soil.
- If the screwdriver easily sinks 24 inches into the soil, you do not need to aerate.
- If the screwdriver does not penetrate, or it is difficult to push it 24 inches into soil, your lawn needs aeration.
- Test 35 spots in your yard. Soil compaction can differ across a single small yard.
Soil can become compacted by foot traffic, vehicles, excess rainfall, or even regular use by children and pets. Its important to test your lawn annually to determine if the soil is compacted.
Early Morning Is The Best Time To Water
Midday watering – during hot, dry weather – can waste water, since much of the water evaporates. Evening watering promotes the spread of disease. Early morning is the best time to water. The symptoms of drought begin with a dark silvery tinge to the grass blades. At this point, your foot prints become clearly visible. If action is not taken to correct the problem, the grass plants will die and turn a straw color.
How Much Water Does Bermuda Need In Texas
4.5/5BermudaTexasBermudarequireswaterwater needsshould
Bermuda grass needs 1 to 1.25 inches of water on a weekly basis to retain its color during summer. On sandy soils it requires more frequent watering, like 0.5 inch of water every third day. For homeowners, it often requires three to five hours of irrigation to water the soil to 1 inch of depth.
Additionally, how often should you water your lawn in North Texas? Your North Texas lawn needs a minimum of 1 inch of water weekly during the summer months. A regular deep watering, two days a week, is better than a light sprinkling on the lawn every day and will encourage stronger, healthier roots.
In this regard, how many minutes should you water each zone?
Water Slowly.Try this: Cut in half the amount of time you water each zone, but run your watering program twice. In other words, instead of watering each zone for 30 minutes, water each zone for 15 minutes, then cycle through all the zones again for another 15 minutes.
When should you water your lawn in Texas?
The Best Time for Watering. As you probably know, the best time to water your grass is early in the morning, between the hours of 4 and 10 am.
Read Also: When To Fertilize Lawn In Iowa
How To Smoke Beef Jerky
How Often Should I Change My Hummingbird Feeder
To maintain a healthy and safe level of freshness, change out the hummingbird food at least once per week. Every 4 to 5 days is ideal. In hot weather plan to change it; even more frequently. If the hummingbird food in the feeder becomes cloudy, goopy-looking, or moldy, take it down, thoroughly clean the feeder, and then add fresh nectar. Always empty and clean it before adding more. Meaning, do not top off your hummingbird feeder with new nectar on top of the old.
Moldy, contaminated hummingbird food can be detrimental to their health.
Also Check: What Oil To Use In Lawn Mower
How Often To Maintain Your Irrigation System
Speaking of watering, you rely on your sprinkler system year-round in Texas, and ideally you should get a quarterly irrigation system checkup. At the very least , get an irrigation maintenance check annually in the early spring.
During an irrigation check, a certified irrigation technician will review all components of your system. Most homeowners are not qualified to audit and test sprinkler systems for efficiency and performance, so its best to rely on a pro.
What Happens If You Dont Water Your Lawn Enough
1. Stress
Stress is a factor in any lawn, however, when stress begins to affect the lawn in a noticeable way, this is an indicator the grass is under watered . For example, if a footprint remains in the grass instead of springing back up the grass needs some extra water.
2. Discoloration
Discoloration will turn the lawn from green to brown or yellow. This can be an indicator that the grass has caught a disease as well. Watching the color of the grass closely will ensure the lawn doesnât get to this point. Remember, overly exposed patches of grass may need a little more water than shaded sections.
3. Clump Growth
Clump growth will indicate the lawn is struggling to survive. There will be several patches of dead grass with small sections of green. This stage is still salvageable, but may need an additional reseed and fertilizer to completely fix the problem.
Also Check: How Do I Control Clover In My Lawn
Tips For Seasonal Sprinkler System Adjustments
1) Visit WaterIsAwesome.com to receive weekly emails and avoid over or underwatering your lawn. Tarrant Regional Water District and Dallas Water Utilities have teamed up to provide Weekly Watering Advice to help Dallas Fort Worth homeowners know when and how long to run their sprinkler system. Their website is a helpful resource if you are unsure about running your sprinkler system.
2) Install a smart irrigation controller.;Smart irrigation technology automatically schedules your irrigation system based on data collected from local weather stations. Unlike traditional irrigation;controllers that operate on a preset programmed schedule and timers, smart irrigation controllers monitor weather, soil conditions, evaporation, and plant water use to automatically adjust the watering schedule to actual conditions of the site.
3) Trust the experts. Since 1971, Lee Engineering provides high-quality irrigation repair and installation in Dallas Fort Worth and surrounding areas. For customers using a traditional irrigation controller, we recommend the following seasonal adjustments.
When To Hang A Hummingbird Feeder And When To Take It Down
The best time to bring your hummingbird feeder out and then bring it down for the year depends on where you live.;
There are 17 different species of hummingbirds found in North America, and each has a unique range and migration pattern! In general, hummingbirds arrive in spring as the weather begins to warm. It is recommended to try to put out feeders before you see the first hummingbird in your garden, so there is food ready and waiting for the first early arrivals.; In the southern states, this means putting out feeders in . For more northern states, early May is a good target. Other states are somewhere in between.
Come late fall to wintertime, leave your hummingbird feeder hung up for at least three weeks after you see the last hummingbird in your yard. You never know if a late migratory straggler will come through and need a snack on his or her way!
Here in California, we have hummingbirds in our garden year-round so we keep a feeder hung most of the year. Sometimes we take it down when all of our salvia flowers are in full bloom since they have plenty to eat in the garden. Other states with known year-round hummingbird populations include Florida, Arizona, and parts of Texas.;
For more information, check out this detailed article by Bird Feeder Hub. It includes a breakdown of hang by dates for each state!
Also Check: How Do I Fill In Bare Spots In My Lawn
When To Mow And Edge Your Texas Lawn
Mowing is usually a weekly lawn maintenance necessity in Texas during the growing season, which is spring through fall. However there are some caveats to this that make it vary:
- In the very beginning of the growing season , bi-weekly mowing may be adequate as the grass isnt growing as aggressively.
- Later in spring through when fall arrives, when we see faster grass growth, so youll realize that your lawn needs mowing every week. Trying to mow your lawn less than weekly is going to be more work and leave your lawn looking untidy.
- At the end growing season , bi-weekly mowing may be adequate as the grass isnt growing as aggressively.
- From November through the end of February, we recommend mowing at least monthly.
As you can see, mowing is a year-round activity.
At Grassperson, we also trim the lawns edges with every service because this extra step is the difference between a lawn that looks average vs. a beautiful, neat property with clean edges. Especially during the growing season, grass edges can quickly creep onto sidewalks and landscape beds, causing a yard to look messy. Trust us, this extra step is worth it.;;
It is important to coordinate the timing of your lawn maintenance with lawn care applications and regular watering. We recommend not mowing for 24 hours after a fertilization and weed control application. Ideally, you will not mow the same day that you water your yard.
Choose The Proper Plant Palate
When Spring does come again, fill your lawn/garden with native or adapted plants. These are naturally more cold-resistant and will keep your garden looking lively.
For more up-to-date tips on when to water, be sure to visit WaterMyYard to learn when to water and when to wait. You can also find additional suggestions on how to pick plants for minimal maintenance and year-round curb appeal at Water University.
Recent Posts
Read Also: How To Green Up Your Lawn Quickly
Are Watering Restrictions Subject To Change How Do I Know What Watering Restrictions Are Currently In Place
Watering restrictions are subject to change based on drought conditions and other factors affecting the water supply. You can check the City of Carrollton Water Conservation website at cityofcarrollton.com/water for updates on Carrolltons water supply and current watering restrictions. The Phase I watering restrictions outlined above indicate that we are not currently in a drought and the water supply is considered stable. Carrollton purchases water from Dallas Water Utilities . DWU receives water from 6 local reservoirs: Lake Fork, Lake Grapevine, Lake Lewisville, Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Ray Roberts, and Lake Tawakoni. The trigger for DWU to require mandatory watering restrictions is when the cumulative depletion of all these reservoirs reaches 35%.;
Why Are Yearly Aeration And Overseeding Important
The idea behind lawn aeration and overseeding is tostrengthen your entire lawn. By filling in empty or bare spots with new grass,you do more than make your lawn look beautiful; you actually increase itsresistance to pests. With a thick, lush and uniform bed of grass, its harderfor weeds to take hold, which makes taking care of grass easier, too.
Aeration breaks up compacted soil so water and otherlife-giving lawn nutrients can reach roots easily. This has a huge effect ongrass health and growth. In fact, even if your lawn is gorgeous and green allover, you should still aerate in the growing season to keep things that way.
Recommended Reading: When Does Lawn Mowing Simulator Come Out
What Happens When You Overwater Your Lawn
1. Thatch Build Up
Thatch b uild up is a natural occurrence in lawns that if exceeds ¾ inch it needs to be removed. The build up is a combination of dead grass and debris that can suffocate the living grass. Over watering can prevent the natural breakdown of the thatch by other organisms
2. Fungus and Disease
Fungus and disease can arise when a lawn has been over watered. If there is any stagnant water in a lawn there is an opportunity for a fungus to grow. The prime example of fungi is when mushrooms begin growing. If this happens in your lawn make sure to water less.
3. Weeds
Weeds of certain strainscan thrive over thatch build up. Making sure that the lawn stays dense and free of additional water will promote healthy lawn growth and less weeds.
Types Of Irrigation Parts
There are numerous sprinkler parts used to efficiently water your property such as sprays, rotors, MP rotator and drip. Our professionals recommend you always following water restrictions, but also contemplate such parts to determine watering run times as well.
- Spray Zones-twice a week
- Rotor Zones-twice a week
- Mp Rotator Zones-twice a week
- Drip Zones-twice a week based on 12 inch spacing at .9 GPH
Ultimately, setting your controller sprinkler run times during the the different seasons will boil down to your own preferences. However, the listed recommendations are a great way to ensure proper watering. If necessary, we are happy to assist you on a service call. Texas Waterboys are here to help and educate our consumers in order to achieve excellent customer satisfaction and aid in maintaining beautiful, lush Texas lawns and landscape! Visit our contact page to set up an appointment!
Recommended Reading: How Much To Cut My Lawn
What Is The Cycle Soak Method Of Irrigation
Most experts recommend the cycle soak irrigation method for North Texas lawns. Because North Texas soils have very high clay content, they should be watered slowly since clay has a lower water absorption rate than other soil types. In general, running an irrigation zone for 15 20 minutes at a time is too much water for the clay soil to absorb, creating runoff from your yard onto the street. Try breaking the run time into 3 shorter cycles. For example, instead of running the zone for 15 or 20 minutes straight, break the watering cycle into 3 cycles of 5 or 7 minutes with about 30 60 minutes in between cycles. This gives the clay soil time to absorb the water that you have applied, facilitating better absorption during the next short cycle. Watering this way encourages deep root growth, making your turf more resilient to our frequent periods of drought in North Texas. It also conserves water, saves money, and aids in preventing storm water pollution from runoff. Texas A&M Agrilife provides a good video tutorial of this irrigation method, available;here.
Can I Keep My Landscape Alive If I Can Only Water Twice Per Week
Horticultural experts agree that landscapes are healthiest with deep and infrequent watering. Even in the heat of summer, landscapes only need about one inch of water every 5 to 10 days to thrive. Watering your landscape often encourages shallow roots, which are more susceptible to damage from extreme heat, freezing temperatures, pests, diseases and future drought conditions. Once established, native or adapted plants require even less water in the right conditions some perennial flowers can go weeks without supplemental watering.
Keep in mind that signs of heat stress are similar to the signs of a plant needing more water. If a plant is drooping in the afternoon, check it the next morning. If it looks OK, the plant is reacting to the high air temperature. Also check the soil the surface area may feel dry, but check a few inches below the surface. The soil below may still have plenty of water. This will prevent the accidental drowning of your landscape. Three to four inches of mulch can also make a big difference in shading the soil and reducing evaporation.
Don’t Miss: How To Fix Dead Patches In Lawn
How To Maintain Different Types Of Lawns In North Texas
Wherever you are in North Texas, chances are youve found yourself wondering how to maintain your turf so that it reaches its full potential. In our more than 30 years of maintaining lawns in Texas, weve learned a thing or two about turf, and while it might be tempting to assume that all grasses are the same, the truth is that there are some crucial differences from lawn to lawn that should be taken into account when figuring out a maintenance plan;
In this post, well take you through the three main grass types in North Texas, and explain the best ways to care for each variety. Well look at the role that fertilization, watering, and mowing play in proper lawn maintenance, and shed some light on the dos and donts of Texas lawn care.;
Watering New St Augustine Grass In Texas
For new St. Augustine grass, the time of year will determine how long you need to water. For the first three and last three months of the year, five hours every 10 days will normally do the trick. During the middle of the year, running your sprinkler for about two hours every other day will typically keep your grass healthy.
For established St. Augustine grass, the first and last three months of the year will only require about five hours of watering every two to three weeks. During the middle of the year, run your sprinkler system for around five hours every week to keep your grass from burning out.
Recommended Reading: What To Use For Grubs In Lawn
