Water should never be applied at a rate faster than it can be absorbed by the soil. Watering your lawn in the afternoon or early evening. Follow this blog to stay tuned with what you need to keep your lawn in tip-top shape year-round. Most of the water will have time … Adhere to the 1-Inch Guideline. Water evaporation is minimized so that a high proportion of the applied water is used by the grass plants. Randomly place three or four rain gauges, tuna cans or similar containers in each of your lawn’s watering zones, NC Cooperative Extension says, and run your irrigation system for a typical cycle. Fertilization DO NOT apply nitrogen at this time. Spray iron (ferrous) sulfate (2 ounces in water … The most efficient way to water a lawn is to apply water when the lawn begins to show signs of stress from lack of water. Also, the demand for water by industry and municipalities is usually low at this time. Prolonged dry periods of high temperatures, strong winds and low relative humidity cause the lawn to appear drought-stressed. Water established lawns … Color Test:When water becomes unavailable for an extended period, a lawn will exhibit a bluish-gray cast. During such times, plants wilt even though water may be in the soil. Here are six tips for watering your lawn in the, — but not required to — water their lawns only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Evening watering promotes the spread of disease. The most efficient way to water a lawn is to apply water when the lawn begins to show signs of stress from lack of water. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Time Required to Apply Water for a Given Irrigation Rate. To prevent water waste, make sure your sprinklers are pointed away from your driveway and sidewalks. It spreads quickly, with surface runners that form roots at the joint and the grass … In Charlotte, homeowners are urged to — but not required to — water their lawns only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Step 1: Obtain several (five to 10) coffee cans, tuna cans or other straight-sided containers to catch the irrigation water. Lawn care and water experts say you typically should limit watering to as much as 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall. Try to stretch the interval between waterings to as many days as possible to encourage the development of deep, extensive roots. As a general rule, keeping your lawn healthy requires 1 inch of water weekly, including rainfall. To measure how much water the soil has soaked up, pierce the turf with a screwdriver or similar tool. Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is widely grown in South Carolina and is especially suitable for people who want a dense, decent-looking lawn that requires little mowing and … Reduce thatch layers thicker than half an inch by dethatching. Fall is also an ideal time to aerate your lawn so that oxygen, water, and fertilizer can easily reach the grass’s roots. Most people irrigate for a given number of minutes without knowing how much water they are really applying. We can see a wet, cold winter like 2015/16 and then warm, dry or drought summers. During long, dry hot periods in the summer, there are two choices when it comes to lawn irrigation: water the grass to keep it green, or do not water and watch the lawn turn brown and dormant. Footprinting:Walk across your lawn late in the day and examine the lawn behind you to see if your steps left any “footprints.” Your footprints will appear in a lawn when the grass plants have low levels of water … Repeat the entire procedure in every zone because the irrigation rates may differ. If you live in an area that has four distinct seasons, autumn is a time when temperatures begin to drop, the days become shorter, and the growth of your grass … To figure out how much water adds up to 1 inch, do the “tuna can” test. The Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at North Carolina State University. If the soil is very dry, it will be difficult to push the screwdriver into the ground. In South Carolina, we have several different grasses that are used for residential and commercial turf. If you want to reign as the king or queen of your neighborhood in and around the Queen City, you’ve got to take good care of your lawn. Do not let grass get taller than 1 1 ⁄ 2 inches. You’ve got to make sure you have the proper equipment and it’s working the way it’s supposed to. If a lawn exhibits symptoms of drought stress, apply about half an inch of water on coarse, sandy soil and 1 inch of water on heavy or fine-textured soil. … Keep in mind when fertilizing Centipede grass: Water early in the morning; it is the most efficient and beneficial time. Once fall arrives, however, it is time to change the way you care for your grass to prepare it for the cooler weather ahead; here's how. Mow before the grass gets taller than 1½ to 2 inches. And that means you need to give the royal treatment to your lawn when it comes to watering. Here are six tips for watering your lawn in the Charlotte, NC, area so that it’s fit for a king or queen. Use the following techniques to identify signs or indications of water need. Sowing in the fall, about 30 days before the first frost, ensures a green cover during the winter when warm-season grass … Mowing:Mow the lawn when it first turns green in the spring using a reel mower set at 3/4 to 1 inch or a rotary mower set as low as possible without scalping the lawn. However, tall or red fescue cool-season grasses may not fare as well. Take care not to overwater, as disease problems may increase. Check sprinkler heads for an even spray pattern and direction of spray. As temperatures begin to drop in the fall, water demands of turfgrass decrease. This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. asiseeitGetty Images “The absolute best time to water your lawn is the early morning, before 10AM,” says Maurer. The amount of water collected at the end of the irrigation cycle — 30 minutes, for example — will tell you whether your lawn is getting too much or not enough water and will enable you to make needed adjustments. Besides increasing mowing time, watering may encourage weed growth, stimulate disease outbreaks and raise your water bill. Unfortunately, each choice bears some consequences. If half of your yard begins to have these symptoms, it is time to water the entire turf. A well-established fescue lawn can be allowed to go drought dormant in the summer without serious damage. Let the lawn “show” you when it needs water. Install a sensor to stop irrigation when it’s raining. The best time to apply fertilizer to centipede grass is a few weeks after green-up and before temperatures reach 85° F. In South Carolina, we usually experience this mid-May, however, let your lawn be your guide. Early morning is the best time to water. Grasscycling is simply leaving grass clippings on your lawn. Grass carp should be stocked in the spring for best results. Screwdriver Test: Press a screwdriver (or a reasonable facsimile) into the lawn. This seldom happens with small sprinklers unless the lawn is very dense or the soil is compacted. The time of day when you water the grass is also important. Fix any leaks, drips and broken equipment that you come across. The best time to water is very early morning before it gets hot. The time of the year your grass is most actively growing will depend on your location and grass type. Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn’s fertilizer needs. However, tall fescue needs more water than warm-season grasses such as zoysia or bermuda, which go dormant during the winter. The leaves have rolled, and some foliage has died.Joey Williamson, ©2019 HGIC, Clemson Extension. Use the following procedure for an in-ground system or a sprinkler at the end of a hose. Dethatching by verticutting or aerifying will assist overseeding heavily thatched lawns. Randomly place three or four rain gauges, tuna cans or similar containers in each of your lawn’s watering zones, NC Cooperative Extension. To determine how long to run a sprinkler system for irrigation rates not listed in Table 1, use Equation 1 in the box below. Remove any excess thatch so the seed can make good contact with the soil. Step 3: Turn the water on for 15 minutes. In addition to the footprint test mentioned earlier, you can check the soil to determine if it’s time to water … If your footprints remain for an extended period of time, the lawn should be watered to prevent the grass from becoming dormant. As the machine rolls over the lawn, it removes cores of soil from the ground, loosening the soil. Fix leaky hoses, spigots and valves. Encouraging the lawn to break dormancy and then not watering again will exhaust the plants and can cause injury. COVID-19 Extension Updates and Resources ... More Information », Factsheet | HGIC 1207 | Published: Oct 7, 2019 | Print. In lawns on compacted clay soil where water does not penetrate easily, consider aerifying the lawn. So if the lawn is currently receiving 15 minutes of water … Water once every 2 to 3 days in dry weather (about 1/2 inch at each application). A considerable amount of water is wasted with leaky hose connections and worn-out spigots. This leads either to giving too little water or to wasted water, which runs down sidewalks and streets, or through the root zone and deep into the ground where grass roots cannot reach it. When the grass blades are compressed by your feet, the low water levels prevent the grass blades from springing back up. These amounts will moisten the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. The symptoms of … Never water the grass every day except during the establishment of newly seeded, sodded or sprigged lawns. For instance, a city ordinance in the suburb of Cary requires homeowners to follow a year-round, three-day-a-week watering schedule. For example, if the sprinkler system applies water at the rate of 2 inches per hour and you wish to apply three-quarters of an inch, then run the sprinklers for about 23 minutes. The Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at North Carolina State University puts the range at 4 to 6 inches. Cooler temperatures and calm breezes help keep evaporation to a … Early plant growth for South Carolina… Use Table 1 as a guide for sprinkler times. While a well-established fescue lawn can be allowed to go dormant without serious injury, a newly established lawn with a limited root system may be severely injured or killed. It is a good choice for South Carolina … As a guide, lawns usually benefit from added nutrients during the times of their active growth. Watering in the early morning is best because the grass has all day to dry out before night falls. It is important to prepare the turfgrass for winter. Leaf Check: During dry periods, grass leaves respond by wilting, rolling or folding. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed. How to Calibrate a Sprinkler: Knowing the amount of water an irrigation system applies over a certain time period is an important step in using water efficiently. Look at your footprints, a bluish-green or bluish-gray cast or wilted leaves. This is because the leaves lose water faster than can be absorbed through the root system. Mow before the grass grows taller than 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Copyright © 2020 Clemson UniversityClemson Cooperative Extension | 103 Barre Hall Clemson, SC 29634864-986-4310 | Contact UsHGIC@clemson.edu, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Centipedegrass Yearly Maintenance Program. If you choose to allow the lawn to go dormant, you can expect warm-season grasses — such as centipedegrass, bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass or zoysiagrass — to remain alive and grow when more favorable conditions prevail. Determine the depth of penetration with the “screwdriver test.” If you have a portable sprinkler you can move it frequently to avoid surface runoff and excessive water use. Heavy thatch layers may contain more grass roots than soil, thus making the grass plants less tolerant to drought and more susceptible to heat injury. You don’t have to water the entire lawn. In absence of a soil test, … A heavily thatched lawn tends to result in irregular patches of overseeded grass. Time to Stock. The amount of water collected at the end of the irrigation cycle — 30 minutes, for example — will tell you whether your lawn is getting too much or not enough water and will enable you to make needed adjustments. Midday watering - during hot, dry weather - can waste water, since much of the water evaporates. A new lawn of fescue that is less well-established, only a few months old and has a limited root system can be severely thinned and may need to be replanted. For the same reason, the evening is the worst time to water … Even then, the clock can be made to operate more efficiently by installing a rain shut-off device that overrides the system when it rains. Climatic areas of South Carolina is very similar to North Carolina with the exception that western Mountain areas of S.C. are not as cool and coastal areas are slightly warmer than N.C. You can divide South Carolina … The nitrogen in these types of fertilizer does not quickly wash away, and it provides green color without causing excessive leaf growth. Lawn care and water experts say you typically should limit watering … Cool season grasses such … If the sprinkler applies too much water, it runs off and is wasted. To measure how much water the soil has soaked up, pierce the turf with a screwdriver or similar tool. This is the preferred time to water because it reduces the risk of disease, water loss through evaporation, and improper water distribution. Warm-Season Grass: Warm-season grasses include Bermuda grass… Grasses used in South Carolina generally consists of warm season grasses such as: bermuda, zoysia, centipede, and carpet grass is even used in shady, wet areas of the state. Watering in the morning (before 10 a.m.) is the best time for your lawn; it’s cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it … Officials in Cary point out that overwatering causes three-fourths of turf problems. Mow grass to 1 inch. Most of the water will make it to the roots. Also, early morning irrigation may curtail the development and spread of diseases. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. The most common grass … Water at the right time. When to Stop Watering Your Lawn . Visit our Charlotte lawn care page,  Or choose your city from the list below: As seen in Forbes, CNBC and USA Today, LawnStarter lets makes it easy to schedule service with a local lawn care professional. 23 of Our Test Kitchen's Best Cookie Recipes of All Time ... sprigs, or plugs, start lawns in the summer. Here are a few things you should cover: Roughly 90 percent of the grass in the Charlotte area is tall fescue. Water evaporation is minimized so that a high proportion of the applied water is used by the grass plants. Step 2: If you have an in-ground system, randomly place the containers in one zone at a time. The Best Time to Water Grass on a Hot Day. When it comes to when to fertilize your lawn, this is the most important factor at playthat determines when the best time is for a feed. Consider only those areas that need water. These symptoms signal that watering is necessary to prevent the turfgrass from turning brown and becoming dormant. Now that you know the sprinkler system irrigation rate, you can apply water more efficiently. Get easy-to-understand, actionable yard tips that will give you the greenest grass on the block. Turfgrasses, like all living plants, require water for growth and survival. Check for damaged sprinkler heads and replace heads that leak. For an in-ground, automatic sprinkler system, set the time clock to “off” and manually turn the system “on” when the lawn needs water. For example, if the sprinkler system applies water at the rate of 2 inches per hour and you wish to apply 0.75 inches of water, then you would need to run your sprinklers for about 23 minutes. Fertilization:Apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet three weeks after the grass turns green. LawnStarter is a startup making lawn care easy affordable and reliable. NEVER burn off centipedegrass to remove excessive debris. The water regulations in your town may be different. There is a great demand for zoysia grass in South Carolina because it is nearly maintenance free. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Then practice grasscycling. First is where you live, coastal South Carolina is an area of extremes. This is not exactly correct, there are many variables involved in knowing when to water or not to water your lawn. , and run your irrigation system for a typical cycle. Bob Polomski, PhD, Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Clemson UniversityDebbie Shaughnessy, Former HGIC Information Specialist, Clemson University, Joey Williamson, PhD, HGIC Horticulture Extension Agent, Clemson University. Charlotte Water recommends watering your lawn to a soil depth of 6 to 8 inches to encourage the growth of grass roots. Lawn aeration should be scheduled during the time the grass is most actively growing. In Charlotte, the water utility suggests watering your lawn between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Many South Carolina homeowners overseed their dormant, warm-season lawns with perennial or annual ryegrass. Failure to provide maintenance on the barrier at this time could result in complete failure of the barrier or could seriously damage the pond's dam. To figure out how much water adds up to 1 inch, do the “tuna can” test. However, always check the soil since watering may be needed. Add the appropriate amount of lime and maintain adequate levels of phosphorus and potassium to encourage deep rooting and drought tolerance. Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from HGIC. ... Avoid removing more than a third of the leaf's total blade length at one time… Zoysia is a warm-season grass … Color Test: When water becomes unavailable for an extended period, a lawn will exhibit a bluish-gray cast. In fact, the Seedland website says it is considered the South's grass. Planting calendars for places in South Carolina. You can rent a gas-powered, walk-behind lawn aerator for about $70 per day. When to water your lawn Deeply and infrequently are the two most important words to remember when you’re considering when and how often to water your lawn. Once you choose to water, continue watering. If one or more inches of … Based on Soil Moisture Depth In general, St. Augustine grass needs its soil to have a moist 6-inch top layer. Healthy, dense strips of warm-season grass sod can be laid anytime of year, but is best done in South Carolina when the temperatures remain above 55 degrees Fahrenheit for several weeks. If the Saint Augustine grass is looking a little pale or worse for wear, then it would be best to slightly adjust watering times until the grass regains its lushness. Space the containers evenly. Irrigating your lawn in the afternoon or early … Yellow appearance may indicate an iron deficiency. St. Augustine grass grows in full sun but is a very shade and salt tolerant grass. Step 4: After the elapsed time, collect the cans and pour the water into a single can. The water regulations in your town may be different. Step 7: Multiply the average depth by 4 to determine the application rate in inches per hour. Containers that are 3 to 6 inches in diameter work best. Charlotte Water recommends watering your lawn to a soil depth of 6 to 8 inches to encourage the growth of grass roots. You may have no control over when you can water if you use municipal water, since you may have to schedule watering to avoid peak residential water use. Step 6: Calculate the average depth of water by dividing the amount of collected water in inches by the number of cans. Look for signs of thirst to identify highly drought-prone areas: high spots; sandy locations; and areas adjacent to sidewalks, patios and driveways. The self … Plus, the grass blades will dry quickly, preventing disease … Calibrating or determining the rate of water a sprinkler system applies is an easy job. … For instance, a. in the suburb of Cary requires homeowners to follow a year-round, three-day-a-week watering schedule. Here are some pointers to help save water when watering a lawn: Follow these steps to help the lawn deal with the stresses of summer weather: Table 1. Our free planting guide calculates the best dates for sowing seeds indoors and … The holes also serve as water reservoirs by collecting water that reduces surface runoff. If you use a hose-end sprinkler to water turf, place the containers in a straight line from the sprinkler to the edge of the watering pattern. However, if you cannot apply this entire amount at once because of water running off from the lawn, apply about half an inch at a time and allow the water to soak in before you continue. 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