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Watering
Watering is of primary
importance to your lawn. Watering is involved in many
processes within the grass plant. In order for these processes to take
place, conditions must be favorable and the right amount of water must
be available.
When to Water
Recognizing when to
water is not always easy. It is important to water often enough to keep
adequate soil water in the root zone at all times. Checking the first
six or seven inches of topsoil with the core of a screwdriver will let
you know if the soil moisture is adequate.
Water between
midnight and noon, but be sure to stop watering by noon. During this
time, temperatures are cooler with higher humidity, an absence of wind
and less water loss due to evaporation. Diseases have less chance of
spreading when the lawn is watered after it has cooled down from the
heat of the day. Watering in the late afternoon creates a warm, moist
and humid environment most diseases prefer. By early morning, plant
temperatures are cooler and the daytime heat discourages disease
development. Midday irrigation may be more convenient, but most of the
water applied will be lost through evaporation and the grass will not
benefit from the watering.
Amount of Water
The amount of
watering needed depends on the kind of grass and the day-to-day
temperature. Most lawns require about one to two inches per week. It
is important to measure the amount of water applied, so that the soil is
wet deep enough, but not over-watered. The rate of application can be
measured by placing several small similar containers, like coffee cans
around the lawn. Water as normal for a set period of time (30 minutes
for example). Pour all the water into one container, measure, and
divide the amount by the number of containers. This will provide your
irrigation output per 30 minutes. Use this figure to determine how long
to water. the amount applied should not be greater than the soil is
able to absorb. During drought periods, it is better not to water the
lawn at all, or infrequently with a deep irrigation, than to tease the
grass with light sprinkling. The grass may turn brownish and become
dormant, but will be revived with the next good rain.
Mowing
Before mowing, be
sure the mower blade is sharp. A dull blade will bruise and tear the
grass tips, and they will eventually turn brown. Mow when the grass is
dry to eliminate shredding and whipping of the grass blades.
Base the mowing on
the growth rate of the grass rather than on a set time schedule. Never
mow more than 1/3 of the grass blade. With this small amount of grass
being cut, the clippings won't have to be bagged. Leaving the clippings
on the grass will actually return the nutrients to the soil. Contrary
to popular belief, clippings left on the lawn are not a significant
contributor to thatch.
As the summer
progresses and the temperature increases, raise the mower to 2 1/2 to 3
inches. The grass will be stronger and better able to survive drought
when it is mowed at a higher cut. It will also discourage germination
of weed seeds and insulate the soil against the drying heat.
Mow the lawn into the
fall until the grass stops growing.
Thatch
Thatch is a major
concern with lawns. Some thatch is normal and even beneficial, as it
acts as a mulch to retain moisture and keep soil temperatures cool.
Thatch also discourages germination of weed seeds and as it decays it
adds nutrients to the soil. But once thatch accumulates to more than
1/2 inch, it can choke your lawn and invite trouble from disease and
insects.
Thatch is a tightly
intermingled layer of living and dead stems, leaves and roots, which
develops between the layer of green vegetation and the soil surface. To
keep the amount of thatch down, the lawn needs better conditions for
micro-organisms and decomposition of organic matter.
Power raking can be
very destructive to a lawn with more than 3/4 inch of thatch. The plant
roots are often found only in the thatch and power raking will pull the
entire plant up. If your thatch layer is about 3/4 inch or more,
aeration is the preferred method.
Aeration can be done
in the spring or fall of the year to allow for better water and air
infiltration, and nutrient mobility. Aeration also improves the
physical condition of the soil by relieving compaction.
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