FLORIDA — It amazes me that even under flood conditions, people still water their lawns.
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I’m sure you’ve seen it, too – we get enough rain to cause some areas to literally flood, and you see irrigation systems going full blast.
We should water our lawns, landscapes, and gardens as needed. The way that some people water their lawns is as logical as saying that a pet dog needs a drink of water at 4 p.m. every day.
This is not true.
When watering, we are simply replacing water that is lost. This is true when we drink water ourselves, provide water for a pet dog, or provide water for our lawns, landscapes, and gardens.
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An irrigation system is a great tool when used to supplement rainfall. Irrigating too much not only wastes water but also is the cause of many lawn problems, such as shallow, weak root systems, leaching of fertilizer, and numerous lawn diseases.
Cutting the irrigation timer off and operating the system manually will solve many lawn problems.
Also, there are tools to prevent an irrigation system from coming on during rain or when adequate rainfall has occurred. As a matter of fact, it has been state law in Florida for every automatic irrigation system to have a rain shutoff device installed since 1991.
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Florida Statutes, Chapter 373.62 – Water conservation; automatic sprinkler systems states, “Any person who purchases and installs an automatic lawn sprinkler system after May 1, 1991, shall install a rain sensor device or switch which will override the irrigation cycle of the sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred,”
Rain sensors are available, inexpensive, and not difficult to install. Rain shutoff devices really do work when installed properly. If you are not qualified to install such a device on an existing system, check with a reputable irrigation company.
Water only when the lawn indicates that water is needed. When the grass needs water, leaf blades fold along the midrib – like a book closing, footprints remain in the lawn long after being made, and the lawn turns grayish in spots, indicating it needs water.
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When 30 to 40 percent of the lawn shows these signs of water need, turn the irrigation system on and let it run long enough to apply one-half to three-quarters inch of water.
Don’t water again until the lawn shows these signs of water need. Watering this way will develop a deep-rooted lawn and landscape.
Here’s a UF/IFAS Extension link with more lawn and landscape irrigation information: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/irrigation.
Larry Williams is the Extension horticulture agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. Contact Larry at 689-5850 or email lwilliams@myokaloosa.com.
