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Last Updated October 2006

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Seasonal Alert for October 2006: Lawns can become drought damaged without adequate rainfall or irrigation every few days this time of year. Please monitor your lawn for signs of wilt symptoms and irrigate with 3 quarters of an inch of water twice a week or as needed.

I have a sprinkler system! How could my lawn have dry spots?
(You should see my water bill!)

Every year during dry periods we hear the previous comments from customers. Unfortunately, sprinkler systems do not provide the uniform distribution of water that rainfall does. All lawns will have areas that will begin to show wilt symptoms first and therefore will require more frequent irrigation than the rest of the lawn.

Sprinkler systems cannot perform visual observations and therefore does not know that areas of the lawn need water. It is not uncommon to have huge water bills from frequent sprinkler system operation and still have areas of the lawn that are dry. There are many factors that contribute to why some areas of the lawn will dry out or show wilt symptoms quicker than other areas. Some of the causes and solutions for dry spots are as follows:

• Sprinkler heads are blocked by grass due to thatch accumulation and need to be raised.

• Pruning is needed for trees, shrubs or other plant material, which has matured and is blocking the irrigation.

• The irrigation time needs to be increased for the affected zone or the head needs to be adjusted to put out more water.

• The irrigation frequency needs to be increased for the zone(s) that have dry spots.

• Soil in the affected area may be compacted and needs aeration.

• Soil in the affected area may have poor water holding capacity or be on a slope and therefore may need more frequent irrigation during hot, dry weather.

• Tree roots may be competing with the grass roots for water and sand or soil needs to be added to the area.

• Nematodes may be injuring the grass root system causing poor water uptake and the grass may need to be replaced.

• Some areas may be in the full sun that will dry out quicker than areas that are shaded.

It has been raining like crazy! How can my lawn be dry?

Every summer we get calls from people who have turned off their irrigation system due to a rainy period and forget to turn it back on when the rains stop for a period of time. A lawn in the summer may have received 20 inches of rain the month before but go only a few days without rain or irrigation the following month and receive drought damage. Summer thunderstorms that provide rain may cause thunder and lightning nearby but actually fail to provide enough rainfall to make up for the water loss.

During the summer, the grass will require more water due to loss from evaporation from the soil and transpiration (water loss through the grass blades). There can be a combined loss of one quarter of an inch of water per day at times. Lakes may fill up with water from a period of rainfall and take several weeks to lower to a level that is noticeable without rainfall. St. Augustine grass on the other hand may die from less than 7 days in the absence of rainfall or irrigation in the summer causing noticeable brown patches in the lawn.

Unless you are committed to turning your sprinkler system on and off based on rainfall patterns, sprinkler systems should have a rain sensor installed and left on automatic during the summer since our rains vary on frequency and amount of rainfall from week to week. Lawns should be inspected every few days during dry periods and sprinklers should be checked as soon as possible at the first sign of wilt symptoms in your lawn for possible irrigation system problems. Water will need to be applied to these areas soon to prevent expensive damage to the grass.