Dealing with the hot temperatures as of late, you may be wondering if your irrigation can keep up with the lack of rain and hot temperatures. Well, let’s take a little time to discuss your irrigation system.
First off, during drought conditions, always remember that your irrigation system was designed to supplement water to your lawn, not be the only source of moisture. This is, to some extent, why it may take longer watering times to deliver the moisture necessary to keep you turf green and your plants happy.
The easiest way to extend watering times with the current program is to use the seasonal adjustment setting on your modern timer. It will adjust all of the times for all of your zones in one simple step. (How to video HERE)
The next step is taking a little time to make sure your plants are getting enough water. Your bedding plants will be feeling the pressure from the lack of rain and high temperatures, but most species and especially established woody plants can be kept looking pretty good during these times of drought with a little supplemental watering. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t look wilted from under or over watering.
As far as turf is concerned, make sure to keep enough water on any parts of your lawn that are Fescue. Any Fescue that dies is dead forever. Fescue will not go dormant like Bermuda and bounce back after it receives adequate moisture. In this respect, taking care of Fescue has a bit of a steep learning curve. Some die back will be inevitable year after year, however, with proper over-seeding, preferably slit seeding, each fall you should be able to easily replace Fescue that has died from normal attrition. Moving on to Bermuda, you’ve got a little easier task. Currently, most Bermuda lawns without irrigation are definitely showing some areas of dormancy. To bring Bermuda out of dormancy only requires consistent, substantial watering. On most lawns with typical irrigation systems we would recommend starting with 30 minutes on rotor zones for each area of Bermuda in full sun. Your watering can definitely come down some once we start to see cooler temperatures and substantial rainfall later this summer or early fall. Additionally, sandy soils that are unable to hold moisture may need even more water, or unfortunately, be unable to support Bermuda without watering at least daily.
If you’ve got any additional questions about maintaining your landscape during these inhospitable conditions, feel free to give us a call at 405-494-6020. We have irrigation technicians available to diagnose and repair your irrigation and get your lawn and landscape watered efficiently.
