How to care for your lawn during Florida’s dry season
If it appears as if the seemingly wet spring we started out with has turned dry, you are right. The months of March, April and May are typically our “dry” season. If you don’t have an automatic sprinkler system, or you turned it off because rainfall was abundant, your turf may be showing signs that it is getting dry.
The three signs of wilt in turf are as follows. First, the leaf blades will fold in half lengthwise when the lawn is water-stressed as the grass tries to conserve water. Second, a water-stressed turf is a more bluegray color than dark green. Third, as you walk through your lawn, your footprints remain visible as your turf does not have enough moisture to bounce back. If you notice these symptoms in at least 30% of your lawn, it is time to irrigate.
While some homeowners have automatic irrigation systems for their lawns, some (like me) rely on setting out sprinklers when it is dry. The common denominator for both is most do not know how much water they are putting out, and how to measure it. This is very important because overwatering is the prime contributor to turfgrass disease.
To make it easy, a simple turf irrigation schedule should apply between 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of an inch of water at each watering. During the hot dry seasons (Daylight Savings Time), this can be done twice a week. During the cooler months (Eastern Standard Time), no more than once a week. If there has been adequate rainfall to achieve this amount of irrigation, no watering is needed.
If you do not know how many inches your sprinkler system is putting out, it is time to calibrate it. This is done using the “catch can“method. By laying out several tuna or cat food cans, you can easily determine how long it takes your system to apply 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch of water. Measure the amount of water in the cans after running the system for 15 minutes. For example, if after
Paint the ceiling or trim to see how you like it. Or call a decorator. We are really good at color!
Tired of an old coffee table? Replace it with a colorful ottoman and use a tray for accessories.
Happy spring! Happy summer! Only 236 days until Christmas!
Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network based in Bonita
Springs, Florida. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/ blog