Lawn Irrigation Tips from John Fech:

1. Measure the amount of water applied in a 15 min. period using collection devices such as tuna or coffee cans. Adjust the runtime to deliver the required amount. Contact a lawn care professional if you need help. *Change the runtime monthly, or at least seasonally.
   
   
2. In general, Kentucky bluegrass lawns require 1 inch per week in April and May, 1 1/4 per week in June, 1 ½ in July and August, 1 1/4 in September and 1 in October.
   
   
3. Water to the bottom of the roots. Use a screwdriver, small shovel or soil probe to determine how deep the roots are, and how far the water has soaked in. Actually, the soil should be kept moist to about a half inch deeper than the deepest roots to encourage downward growth.
   
   
4. When watering on a slope, use “delayed starts”. Run your sprinklers until you notice runoff, then stop. Wait 3 hours, then resume. Aerate in spring and fall to increase infiltration.
   
   
5. Water in the early morning (4 am to 10 am). This allows the grass blades to dry, making them less susceptible to foliar diseases. Watering is more efficient in morning due to less evaporation and wind speed.
   
   
6. Observe your sprinkler system once per month. Look for heads that don’t turn, heads that spray the street or sidewalk, bent or damaged heads, clogged or worn nozzles or orifices, turf growth around heads that impede water delivery, compaction and runoff.
   
   
7. Adjust heads as landscape plants grow larger and begin to block the spray pattern. New installations of benches, decks, etc. can also decrease irrigation efficiency.
   
   
8. During hot weather, in the early afternoon, run your sprinklers 5 to 10 minutes per zone to cool the turf and reduce stress. This is called syringing, and it reduces the symptoms of summer patch disease.
   
   
9. Create water zones by putting plants together that have similar water needs. Each turf species has a different water requirement. Ornamental plants can be grouped into low, moderate and high water users. Each zone of plants can be irrigated according to its needs.
   
   
10. When overseeding, irrigate lightly and frequently. The new turf plants have a very shallow root system, so timing should be adjusted accordingly.