Watering At The Wrong Time
To water well, timing is everything. Water in the early morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Midday watering leads to wasteful evaporation, while nighttime watering causes droplets to cling to grass overnight, increasing the chance of lawn diseases.
A Dual Outlet Electronic Water Timer will prove handy for those mornings you are away or want to sleep in. Just program the start time, frequency and duration of watering, and let the timer take care of the rest. The dual outlets make it easy to hook up two hoses at once and program separate schedules for different parts of the yard. We suggest attaching a Flexogen Super Duty Hose, as it easily curves around the yard without kinking and connects to a spigot without leaking saving water and money.
Ways To Know If Your Lawn Needs Water
TEST #1Screwdriver
Insert a screwdriver into the soil. If its easy to push in then the soil has plenty of water, no watering is necessary. If the screwdriver only penetrates the soil to an inch or is difficult to push in, then the soil is dry and watering is needed soon. This test may not be accurate in very sandy soils.
TEST #2Look
As bluegrass lawn dries, it begins to wilt causing the leaf blade to change color to a dull or greyish blue. It doesnt damage the lawn to wilt, in fact it signals the lawn that it needs to grow deeper roots. If it receives water the same day it wilts, lawn will recover quickly without any damage.
TEST #3Step on It
Water helps keep grass growing upright. As it dries, the leaves wilt and wont spring back up quickly if pressed down. To test whether your lawn needs water, step on it. If the grass blades dont spring back right away then its time to water. It will tell you all by itself if it needs water.
Utah Winter Lawn Watering Guide
Watering your lawn in the winter is as important as in any other season, but a little trickier. The importance of watering during the cold months cant be overemphasized, if you want your turf and plants to be healthy come spring. The tricky part is that your watering schedule will depend on Mother Natures schedule. Read on for the best way to care for your lawn during the unpredictable northern Utah winters.
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Lawn In The Low Water Landscape
Of the seven guiding principles of water-wise landscaping , the most controversial involves the use of turfgrass in the landscape.
At times it has seemed that water-wise landscaping might not allow for the use of turfgrasses at all. In fact, water-wise landscaping recognizes turfgrass as an integral component of the landscape.
Buffalo grass is a good turf choice for Intermountain landscapes.
The reason that turfgrass is mentioned specifically in water-wise landscaping guidelines is that there is great potential for over-irrigation of turfgrasses. Unlike other plants that exhibit the stresses of over-watering readily, turfgrass is able to withstand a great deal of over-irrigation without exhibiting signs of stress. In addition, as an herbaceous plant, turfgrass is often one of the first plants in the landscape to exhibit signs of drought stress. These facts coupled with a more is always better attitude toward landscape irrigation, predispose turfgrass areas to over-irrigation.
The Future Of Utahs Water
Ward knows his proposal is only a small part of water conservation in the state, but considers it a step in the right direction, along with this weeks summit to save the Great Salt Lake.
Everybody understands that we have to do some things differently, and this is only one of them, he said, stressing the potential harms should the lake disappear. We have to plan ahead so that doesnt happen. I think more people are coming to understand that, so I think there will be good support for . But you never know until you try, right?
Water conservancy districts face an uphill climb to stay ahead of growth in Utah, according to Cook, because many new developments still prioritize lawn and turf.
We will look at all the lawn weve replaced, and all the water-efficient landscaping that we put in, and then turn around and theres a whole development where theyve just laid sod, she said. We feel like were chasing our tails because theres this mindset in Utah that lawn is whats desirable and what looks good. Were trying to fight against an old mindset.
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When Should I Turn Off My Sprinklers In Utah 2020
Whether you have a secondary system or a culinary system, October 1st is a good time to turn it off, said Joshua Palmer with the Utah Division of Water Resources. But why October 1st? The days are shorter, the nights are cooler, the plants and grasses will go into dormancy anyway really soon, Palmer said.
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When Should I Aerate My Lawn In Utah
AerationtoAeration shouldtograss
. Similarly, you may ask, when should I winterize my lawn in Utah?
Slow weed growth in the cooler fall temperatures allows hearty cool-season grasses to flourish and properly store nutrients for winter. Fall aeration should take place approximately four weeks before the first frost sets in. The first frost occurs in Northern Utah in mid-October and in late-October for Southern Utah.
One may also ask, when should I fertilize in Utah? Fall and Winter fertilizingFrom Labor Day until late October is the time to apply step four fall and winter fertilizer, the final step to your lawn care program. This is the most important lawn feeding of the year. Fertilizing at the later time of year produces extra greening and little top growth.
Similarly, it is asked, how long should I run my sprinklers in Utah?
Lawns in Utah require 1 to 2 inches of water per week
What is the best grass seed for Utah?
Although, depending on where in Utah you live, you might need more of one or the other, the balance between these two varieties of grass is usually maintained. Some of the main cool-season grasses used in Utah include perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, as well as tall and fine fescues.
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How To Water A Lawn With Sandy Soil
Alright guys, lets talk about watering your lawn conserving water and checking your actual soil. Dont shoot the messenger when I tell you this, but if you have sandy soil, do not water deeply and very little frequency. do the opposite. Dont dont use any more water or less water than is suggested, but cut the minutes down and the frequency way up. Because if you have pure sand were here in Sandy doing a fertilization treatment. You have sand it dries out super fast, it heats up super fast. And the point of watering deeply and heavy minutes is to get the water down deep with sand water just goes down deep. So cut your minutes in half and water twice as often you will have a much better looking lawn without using an extra drop of water. I hope this helps. Wed love to help you out with lawn fertilization or pest control. Let us know otherwise, hope you have a good day.
Best Watering Practices In Cache Valley
Jun 11, 2019 | lawn care, summer
Thanks to the unusually wet spring Cache Valleys had this year, you probably havent needed to turn on your sprinklers yet. Thats good, because it means that, if youve been careful about your water usage, we should have plenty stored up for summer use. Utah is the second driest state in the country, so water conservation is important if we want to get through the dry months.
But so is keeping your lawn healthy, right? Well, here are some things to consider about watering.
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Not Using The Seasonal Adjustment On Your Timer
You may or may not have a seasonal adjustment on your sprinkler timer. If you do, GREAT! The seasonal adjustment setting is the easiest way to adjust watering time as the weather gets hotter and cooler. Set your station watering times to correspond with 75° weather. As it gets hotter increase the seasonal percentage to 120 or 130%. As it gets colder set it to 70 or 80%.
How To Tell If Your Lawn Has Been Watered Enough
There are some simple tricks that will determine if a lawn is receiving enough water. First, does it look healthy? If it looks healthy, then it probably is which means stick to what you are doing. Another way to determine if your lawn needs to be watered is to submerge a screwdriver into the grass. If it easily sinks 6 to 7 inches, then your lawn is receiving an adequate amount of water each week. If not, it is probably time to make a change to your watering routine.
Be ready for changing weather and be aware of when a lawn needs more feeding and fertilizing. Give lawns an organic fertilizer and compost in fall and spring and cut back on watering when dry days turn to rainy ones.
If you see mushrooms growing in your grass, it is most likely due to overwatering. The best next step is to decrease the amount of watering until the mushrooms are gone.
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Best Time To Water By Month
Watering your lawn changes with each month in the summer. For example, early summer still sees temps in the 80s, but by the middle of August, temps can reach upwards of 100 degrees. This drastic increase in temps makes it necessary to water your lawn more often. Watering a lawn every day for 10 to 15 minutes isnt going to cut it in the hot summer months. Your lawns root system needs to grow at least three to four inches deep to remain healthy for summer.
It also depends on your soil since that has a big impact on watering. For instance, if you have clay soil, you will need to water less than if you have sandy soil since one particle of sand is around 500 times larger than an ounce cup of sand, hence the more surface area a soil has, the more water clings to it this decreases drainage and increasing the ability of water holding. Here is a month-by-month water guide for June, July, and August.
Best Time Of Day To Water My Lawn
As summer nears, the climate in Utah gets hotter and drier. You need to water the lawn at the right time. The best time is before 10 am and after 6 pm. At this time the sun isnt as strong, the weather cooler, and so, the roots have time to absorb the water before its lost to evaporation. Reducing the level of evaporation loss promotes water conservation. Its vital to be water-wise, especially in Utah, one of the driest states in the nation. Typically, the use of irrigation systems, i.e. sprinklers, helps conserve water. That is why fan-style pop-up heads are preferable over rotary-style systems. The former is much more efficient.
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Watering Cool Vs Warm Season Grasses
You need to care for different grass types in different ways to keep them at their healthiest and hardiest.
Cool Season Grasses
These types of grasses, like fescue, rye, and bluegrass, grow actively in the fall. Theyll need about 1-1.5 inches every week until the growing season ends, roughly when the first frost sets in. If you dont water cool season grasses during a drought, they will go dormant but re-green when it starts raining again.
Warm Season Grasses
Warm season grasses, including bermuda, St. Augustine, zoysia, and centipede grass, do most of their growing in the summertime. Overall, they require less water than cool season grasses, but even they need extra water in the dead heat.
Is It Better To Water In The Morning Or Evening
Morning Watering Best Watering early in the day provides the plants with moisture for vigorous growth during the day and prevents heat stress. In contrast, evening watering must contend with remaining soil heat from the day, but winds may be dying down, allowing sprinklers to spray where they should.
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Tips To Keep Your Lawn Looking Great
Most lawns will benefit from a session or two of aeration. Aerating involves making small holes to alleviate soil that has become compacted. Less compaction means more air, water, and nutrients reach the grassroots. Furthermore, reseeding or over seeding your lawn reduces thinning grass and removes brown patches. Consequently, both aeration and over seeding encourage grass to keep more water.
Brown Grass Is Good In Drought
Kentucky bluegrass is the most commonly grown turf grass in northern Utah. And it can actually survive with as little as a quarter to a half an inch of water per month, which is a very different thing than irrigating one day per week, Kopp said.
She added she is not concerned about lawns in Utah during the summer but she said she is more concerned about trees, which are more valuable financially and environmentally.
Debbie wanted to know if watering once a week will still keep the grass looking lush and green.
Its certainly not going to be looking green and lush, Kopp said, adding it will look yellowish-brown, which means the grass has gone dormant.
I like to tell folks is that its very similar to the process our trees go through in the fall when they drop their leaves and head into winter to preserve their energy for the spring. Its a very similar process with our grasses, she said.
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Hold Off Watering Lawn After Utah Declares Drought Emergency
SALT LAKE CITY With Gov. Cox calling for a state of emergency due to the widespread drought in Utah, now is not the time for residents to be watering their lawns.
The Utah Division of Water Resources is asking residents to hold off irrigating their personal home landscaping in an effort to conserve water.
Officials estimate more than 20 billion gallons of water could be saved every summer if people watered their lawns according to the Weekly Lawn Watering Guide.
According to the current edition of the guide, no areas in the state are advised to water. The guide uses data to give recommendations on how many days per week to water lawns based on conditions in each county.
Youve probably heard by now that were in one of the worst droughts on record and that soil moisture is at
Posted by Utah Division of Water Resources on Saturday, March 20, 2021
The department says watering now can actually do more harm than good to residential lawns. Homeowners are urged to let their turf build up strong roots before the summer, and watering now could lead to shallow and weak roots.
A state of emergency declaration will allow for state and federal resources to be used to help farms and communities that might be impacted by what is expected to be a long, hot summer.
When To Water The Lawn
If you find your lawn has taken on a grayish cast or appears to be dull green, its telling you that it needs water. You can also check your lawn by walking on it: If your footprints dont disappear quickly, its because the grass blades dont have the needed moisture to spring back. While it may seem like you can head out to water your lawn anytime during the day, your lawn actually needs more specific care. Watering in the morning is the best time for your lawn its cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate. If you must water in the evening, try between 4 and 6 p.m. which should give the grass blades time to dry before nightfall. The later you water, the greater chance of disease becoming prevalent in your lawn. Its worth noting, though, that you dont necessarily have to water your lawn. Lawns are resilient. Established and properly cared-for lawns can survive weeks without water by going dormant , then recover once the rain returns.
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Watering Your Lawn Automatically
There are many different ways to efficiently and automatically water your lawn. There are a few factors you should take into account. Ask yourself the following questions: How much water will I need? How large an area do I need to cover? What shape is my lawn? Is there anything nearby that cant get wet?
Here are a few popular types of sprinklers to consider:
- In-ground sprinklers These systems can be expensive, but are highly efficient. The sprinkler heads pop up automatically to water, and pop right back down when the watering is done, delivering a precise amount of water.
- Pulsating sprinklers This type shoots out water horizontally in a powerful stream, covering a large area easily. Grassroots get the level of moisture they need quickly. However, the pulsing might be too intense for newly seeded or sodded lawns.
- Oscillating sprinklers These are a good alternative for newly seeded lawns, since the force of the water is weaker, and you still get good coverage.
- Hose-end sprinklers These traditional sprinklers are the most common and come in many different types.
Make sure your automatic sprinkler is doing its job, when it needs to do its job. If the forecast calls for a lot of rain, adjust the settings accordingly. Also, make sure it isnt pointed at the streetyou dont want to soak any passersby.
