Is your Florida lawn drowning?

Did you know your lawn talks? (Unless it’s drowning.) Over-watering is a common mistake and unfortunately it has detrimental effects leading to possible weeds, insects and diseases. In fact, experts at the University of Florida suggest turning off your irrigation system and turning it on only when your lawn exhibits the following signs of thirst…

·Folding leaf blades. Drought-stressed lawns will curl up their leaf blades lengthwise in an attempt to minimize leaf area. Wilting is best seen on the older leaves of the grass plant, as the younger leaves are not fully developed and may appear wilted even when they are not.

·       Blue-gray color. Drought-stressed lawns turn from green to bluish-gray.

·       Footprints remaining visible. When footprints or tire tracks remain visible on your lawn long after being made, your lawn is experiencing drought stress.

When you water your lawn you should also consider how much rain your area gets. Perhaps your area is experiencing drought conditions? Here are three tips for watering during a drought: 

·         Priorities. Water highly visible areas first.

·         Time of day. Water early in the morning. Less water loss occurs from evaporation and wind drift in the morning because of cooler temperatures and less wind.

·         Frequency. Irrigate deeply at long intervals rather than watering frequently and shallowly. Deep watering improves drought resistance by promoting deeper, more extensive root systems.