Maintenance Tips
Watering Tips
The goal of irrigation is to provide the soil (supporting your plants) with the optimum amount of water necessary for plant heath and vigor. Sounds simple, but several factors will influence the dynamic watering needs of your specific lawn and ornamentals. Soil depth, slope of your landscape, shade conditions, as well as the ever-changing temperature/seasonal conditions all play a role in determining how long and how often to water. Another major consideration is the type and nozzle size of the sprinkler heads used. (Spray heads emit 3 to 4 times more water than rotor heads per square foot.) The settings suggested below are general in nature. You will need to adjust settings according to your specific sprinkler system and landscape conditions.
March - April
Early spring irrigation-water one time per week with the following run times:
- Rotor and impact heads :45
- Spray heads :15
- Drip irrigation :90
May - Mid-June
Late spring/early summer irrigation-water two times per week with the following run times:
- Rotor and impact heads :60
- Spray heads :20
- Drip irrigation :90
Mid-June - Late August
Mid-summer irrigation-water two to three times per week with the following run times:
- Rotor and impact heads 1:20
- Spray heads :20
- Drip irrigation :90 (if on separate program, conditions permitting, water one time per week for 4-6 hours)
Late August - October
Late summer/early fall-water two times per week with the following run times:
- Rotor and impact heads :45
- Spray heads :15
- Drip irrigation :90
Deeply rooted trees and shrubs should be watered deeply and infrequently. One long watering cycle per week or every other week is ideal for established trees.
The ideal times of day to water are as follows:
- Early morning - minimizes evaporation but allows foliage to dry after watering.
- Evening/Night - minimizes evaporation. Not as ideal as morning as foliage stays wet longer.
- Mid-day - most evaporation, but can be beneficial when temperatures are extreme (cools surface temperature).
Mowing Tips
Lawn mowing is far more than the mindless weekly task often delegated to the judgment of the neighbor kid down the block. A professionally mowed lawn takes foresight and skill. If you want a professional looking lawn, follow these tips:
- Safety first!
- Start with a sharp blade. We recommend sharpening mower blades after ten hours of operation.
- Mowing height. Set your cutting height in the range of 1 3/4" to 2 ". (If your lawn is growing in extreme shade, let your grass stay longer.)
- Never "scalp" your lawn. Mow you lawn regularly; minimally once per week during the growing season. If you miss a week and your lawn is excessively tall, raise your cutting height before your mow, and mow it again in a few days at your regular setting. During the semi-dormant months of March and November, you may mow your lawn a few settings lower than normal.
- Mowing pattern. Start your weekly mowing procedure by making two swaths around the perimeter of your lawn borders. Establish your first cut in a straight line. If you do not have a straight border to start with, focus on an object at the opposite end of your lawn and mow to it. You will now have an amazingly straight line from which to work. Lawn mowers cause a "grain" pattern which appears as a lighter color when viewed from the direction of travel. This grain is what causes the visual "striping" apparent on professionally maintained turf. To maintain a consistent grain and mowing pattern, work back and forth in opposing directions as you continue the mowing process. Drive the lawn mower around the perimeter when moving to another section, or to dump grass. You've worked hard to establish a nice consistent pattern, wheel tracks cutting across a freshly mowed lawn is unsightly!
- Change mowing patterns. To avoid rutting the lawn and excessive "grain" change mowing patterns every other week. It is best to change your mowing lines to intersect at a 90 or 45 degree angle, again always mowing in a straight line.
- Grass clippings. Mulching, or recycling lawn clippings can be better for your lawn than bagging. Mulching may require you to mow more often than one time per week during periods of rapid growth. If mulching leaves visual "clumps" of grass on your lawn, discoloring will occur.
- String trimming and edging. A nice clean edge is the icing on the cake. When using string trimmers, avoid "burning" down the grass edges with a bevel cut. Edges should be "tight" against paved surfaces at a 90 degree angle. Never trim against trees smaller than six inches in diameter. Repeated contact with the bark of immature trees will girdle and eventually kill them.
- Never refill you gas tank while your mower is on the lawn. Spilled gas kills grass.
- Pour yourself a nice cool drink, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.