As we have mentioned before, the second basic need for a lawn is water. Everyone loves to focus on fertilizer, but without proper watering, your lawn cannot thrive. Type of grass, amount of sunlight, temperatures, humidity can all play a role in how much water your yard needs. We have been asked many questions about this topic and want to share some of the answers with you here! For other topics you may have questions about, check out our FAQ page here! 

When is the best time to water my lawn?
Watering in the morning (before sunrise) is the best time for your lawn; it's cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the roots before it can evaporate. Although it might seem smart to wait until the evening, watering in the evening is only recommended in very dry seasons. Under normal watering circumstances, watering at night can cause fungus due to sitting on the lawn too long before evaporating.

How much water does my lawn need?
Most lawns need 1.5-2.5" of water per week, either from rain or sprinklers to get to the roots. This changes through the seasons at certain times of the year, we experience high evaporation (spring and early summer in North Florida) and others we experience low evaporation (fall and winter) due to humidity and temperatures. This also changes within your lawn where certain areas are in full sun (higher need for water) vs. shaded areas (lower need for water). If you're wondering how long you should run your sprinkler zones, please see below. 

Should I water my grass after mowing?
While it's definitely fine to water after mowing the lawn, you should avoid watering before you mow. Wet grass will just clump up as you mow it, clogging your mower and being a pain in general. This is also why you should avoid mowing right after heavy rains.

How do I know if my lawn has enough water?
An easy way to determine if your lawn is wet enough is to push your finger in the soil. If soil does not stick to your finger at all, you should add water. If it is still moist a knuckle or two deep, then it doesn't need water yet. You can also grab a handful of soil and see if any sticks to your hands. If it sticks at all, it has enough moisture. Read our blog post: 4 Signs Your Lawn Has Too Much Irrigation for more information.

How long do I need to run my sprinklers?
Most lawns need 1.5-2.5" of water per week, either from rain or sprinklers to get to the roots. These changes are based on the type of sprinkler head, weather, soil type, amount of sun, and grass/plant type. With all of that said, here is a basic guideline for sprinkler systems to keep a healthy lawn:

Rotor Zones - 40-65 minutes (These are the heads that rotate and cover larger areas of the lawn with one strong stream of water.
Spray / Mist Zones - 20-35 minutes (These are the heads that steadily spray a flat stream of water in a concentrated area and do not rotate)

Drip Zones - 60-90 minutes (These zones just slowly drip water at the base of root systems and do not put out much water at all. Although concentrated, they need more time to fully wet the plant's rootballs)

How can I tell if my Gainesville lawn needs more water?
Grass Blade Folding - St. Augustine and Zoysia leaves have a crease down the center that allows them to open and close as needed. Healthy, well-watered grass will appear almost completely flat and open. When grass begins to dry out, the blade will close in half upon itself, to reduce its exposure to the sun and thus conserve water. This will also give the grass a “hazy” look, as the backs of the blades are not as deep green as the enclosed fronts.

Slow Spring-Back - Healthy grass should return itself to the upright position within a few seconds of being walked upon. If your footprints last more than 5 seconds in the turf, this is a guaranteed sign of drought stress.

How do I keep my yard healthy when I can only water twice a week?
At certain times of year (typically, spring in North Florida), we experience low humidity, warm weather, and minimal rain. These 3 factors cause terrible drought stress in sunny areas of the lawn when they can only get watered two days per week. During those dry spells, we recommend watering in the morning AND in the evening of your scheduled days. (2 days a week) and that's still within the watering guidelines. Much of the problem with this time of year is that the water is evaporated and causing drought stress long before the gap between the 2 days is complete.

For example, if your watering days are Wednesday and Saturday, setting the sprinklers to run at 5am and 9pm both of those days increases the water on the lawn, shortens the gap of stress between the waterings, and keeps you within the watering guidelines.

HOWEVER-this is a plan only to be used during hot and dry times of the year (spring).

Why does Alachua County recommend smart controllers in their new code?
Most people hear "smart" and think of voice activation - like Alexa. Irrigation Smart controllers have nothing to do with voice, but everything to do with saving water. They intelligently optimize your irrigation system by automatically adjusting to your local weather, effectively helping your landscape, and cutting water use. It reads the weather on your WiFi network and then responds to it. For example, it knows if rain is forecasted above 80% for today, it will not water. If it's above 85-degrees, it naturally adjusts with more water and does the same with deducting from cold temperatures.

It's not about voice activation it's about saving water and improving the way you water by the changing weather.

Be sure to visit other articles we have on this topic:
Gainesville Sprinkler Tips for Watering Your Lawn
4 Common Gainesville Sprinkler System Issues to Watch For
Quick Tip: How Much Should I water my Gainesville Lawn in Summer?
5 Reasons to Install a Smart Irrigation WiFi Controller on your Gainesville Sprinkler System

If we can be of help with your Gainesville Irrigation please don't hesitate to reach out to us at (352) 378-LAWN or fill out our form at the top of the page!

Ever heard of the term 'Feast to Famine'?
That is exactly what almost every transition from Spring to Summer is like in North Florida. A couple of weeks ago, lawns were burning up, drought-stressed, and begging for water. It almost seemed like no amount of irrigation could quench their thirst. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and rainstorms are a daily occurrence.

Instead of worrying about sprinklers, people are worried about drainage solutions and run-off erosion. Quite the change for a short period of time. So why would I be writing about irrigation in a season like this? Because your water use matters - even if you aren't concerned with the environment, you certainly care about your GRU or municipality's water bill.

This is where the Irrigation Smart Controller (such as Hunter's Hydrawise system) comes in. It reads the weather from your WiFi network and then adjusts your sprinklers based on the weather. It's very possible that you could be saving $50-75/month on your water bill.

Benefits of installing a Smart Controller:

1. Adaptability - Your smart system will be able to decide when not to run much more consistently than the out-of-date rain sensors.
2. Scheduling - You can program your watering schedule into your smart system.
3. Avoids Over Watering - It will take into account the temperature and rainfall and delays between water zones.
4. Flexibility - You can control your system from anywhere by opening the app on your phone
5. Integration - Smart irrigation systems will integrate with many pre-existing smart systems like Google Assistant, Alexa, Nest, Wink, or other smart systems..

If we can be of help with any of your Summer Irrigation needs - please don't hesitate to reach out to us give our team a call or text at (352) 378-5296. We're local and have been serving Gainesville for over 15 years. We look forward to working with you!

With temperatures beginning to rise, it’s important to start preparing your Gainesville landscape for success in the months ahead. Does your curb appeal need some added color? Is your lawn ready for the warm weather and adjusted irrigation times?

We have compiled a few tips that will keep your lawn in great shape during the summer months.

1. Don’t Butcher the Grass
It’s tempting to lower your mower blades to cut the grass as short as possible. After all, you reason, it’s sort of like your hair—the shorter you cut it now, the longer you can go between trims. Grass doesn’t work like that, especially when it comes to St. Augustine and Zoysia grass.

Chopping the grass is more likely to leave it brown and dead. For the warm season, not only should you sharpen the blades, but you should also position them to never cut more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade off for an optimal lawn. Leaving the grass slightly taller won’t interfere with the groomed appearance of your lawn, but the blades remain long enough to bathe in the sunlight, which creates nutrient-rich roots and soil.

Learn more about caring for your specific Gainesville turfgrass here.

2. Trust your Smart Controller or Weather Sensor
Watering the lawn is a necessity in Florida, but our area is also humid, and we get a good amount of rainfall in summer. That eases a bit of the burden of irrigating, but it depends on the weather. A week of scorching weather can torch the yard if you aren’t watchful, which is why many summer lawn care tips focus on hydration and irrigation techniques.
As tempting as it is, we do not recommend “turning the sprinklers on manually when it’s dry,” because inevitably life happens. Once the lawn is stressed, you are already negatively impacting your curb appeal - and inviting pests and weeds in. A scheduled watering plan, that is paused automatically when rain is in the area, is the best way to ensure top-notch health in your summer landscape.

Learn more about Smart Irrigation Controllers here.

3. Put Away the Nitrogen
This summer lawn care tip doesn’t apply to garden beds and edible landscaping, but for your lawn - don’t fertilize your lawn with any nitrogen (first number of the N-P-K content on fertilizer) after June, per Alachua County regulations. This is why our lawn and ornamental health programs include slow-release nutrients applied at the end of spring that will feed the landscape through summer and fall.
You can still apply micronutrients and topdressings that will help feed your roots and soil to improve your landscape’s health through the summer, but avoid nitrogen if you don’t want on the County’s 'naughty list.'

Learn more about the Alachua County Fertilizer Restrictions here.

4. Prune back your azaleas
Most landscape professionals go by the July 4th rule, which is to make sure all Azaleas (Specifically larger varieties) are pruned back heavily and shaped by Independence Day. This will allow them to start budding in late Summer for next Spring’s bloom season. July to next Spring is an extended growing period - so starting from a tight shape is important to not looking overgrown and unkept.

Some homeowners prefer a manicured shaped Azalea at the expense of the blooms, so if that's you please ignore this tip and continue to shape after budding season - but most love the flowers and so this is an important task to get checked off.

Learn more about Azalea care here.

5. Plant some Summer Color
After your Hydrangeas, Irises, Agapanthus, Azaleas, and Camellias are done blooming - Summer color can be hard to go without. If your landscape needs a little color throughout the dog days of summer - consider adding these heat-loving plants into your design:

• Drift Roses
• Salvia (Perennial and Annual)
• Cardinal Firespike (late Summer)
• Golden Cassia
• Coreopsis
• Vitex Tree
• Coleus (Annual)

Find more Summer Color Landscape Inspiration here.

If we can be of help with any of your Gainesville Landscape needs - please don't hesitate to reach out to us give our team a call or text at (352) 378-5296. We're local and have been serving Gainesville for over 15 years. We look forward to working with you!

Mistake #1: Set it and forget it
Mistake: Leaving your sprinkler on autopilot throughout the year means you aren’t watering right for your landscape's needs today - which are very different when it's 90-degrees versus 70-degrees

Fix: Check for leaks and broken heads. Adjust the time and frequency for your summer lawn needs (see below). And adapt your schedule when heavy rainfalls come through. If you want to not mess with it, install a smart Hunter Hydrawise controller to do the work for you.

Mistake #2: Watering too frequently
Mistake: Watering 4 or 5 days per week makes your lawn vulnerable to fungus, disease, thatch issues, weeds, and other weaknesses. 

Fix: Water 2 days per week and adjust the run times per zone.

Mistake #3: Watering too little
Mistake: Short, shallow waterings don’t penetrate the root zone, stunting important root development.

Fix: Water deeply to promote a strong root system and a healthy lawn. We recommend 45-60 minutes for rotating heads and 15-20 minutes for fixed heads.

Mistake #4: Watering too much
Mistake: Standing water or satuated soils hours after irrigating can be a sign you’ve overwatered. When this happens, your root zone doesn’t get enough oxygen and can lead to fungus and other lawn disease.

Fix: 1 inch of water per irrigation cycle is good for many lawns. 

Mistake #5: Irrigating too late
Mistake: Watering after the sun heats up causes water to evaporate. Evening waterings can also be problematic. Depending on where you live, damp grass and cool air create perfect conditions for disease and fungus.

Fix: Water before 10am in the morning to avoid water loss and disease.

If you need help with your Gainesville Sprinkler System, don't hesitate to fill out the form at the top of the page or call our team at (352) 378-5296.

The time has finally come to begin planning your fall Gainesville landscaping tasks with Fall just around the corner. It may not feel like it, but cooler days will be here in a month or so, and evening temperatures are already on a downward slope. Get ready for fall landscaping activities by planning for and scheduling tasks those hard-to-get-to tasks now.

Schedule the projects, purchase supplies, and plan what your priorities are -although the actual work won't begin just yet. You will be fertilizing your lawn, monitoring lawn pest and weed activity, and dialing in irrigation schedules. You may also choose to add some fall seasonal color or add new shrubs and trees.

Plan Cool-Season Annuals
Right now, your warm-season annuals are still looking good. Angelonia, torenia, vinca, zinnias, coleus, and caladium are blooming well. In our Gainesville, Florida lawns, these will continue thriving into mid-October. Depending on if you're using Fall color such as Mums or moving straight to Pansies and Petunias, you can delay purchasing and installing cool-season annuals until November. For Mums it would be an earlier timeline though.

If you like to grow flowers from seeds, however, now is the time to start thinking about it, especially if you plan to order supplies and seeds online. Setting up your seedling areas can be a project if you want to sow lots of seeds. This can also be a great project for kids to see as the plants grow.

Consider these Gainesville area cool-season annuals for your flower beds:

Snapdragons, Pansies, Violas, Mums, Petunias, Phlox, or Sweet Pea

Fall Gainesville Lawn Fertilizing
Be ready for the year's last round of nitrogen feeding in September or October. General garden fertilizer is suitable for most trees and shrubs (12-4-8 or 15-5-15 or 15-4-8) and your turf mix would vary depending upon your grass type - St. Augustine, Zoysia, or Centipede.

For tree and shrub fertilization (Ornamental fertilizer), spread it evenly on the ground under the tree out to the drip line (edge of the outer mimbs of the trees).

For lawns, look the turf fertilizer depends on your breed of turfgrass. St. Augustine and Bahia get their final feeding of the year in September; Zoysia and Bermuda will be later in the year, although continuing to feed other micro and macro nutrient s is important for root density and health through the winter. 

Add New Shrubs
Want to add new shrubs or flowers? Fall is the perfect time. If you wait until October when the days are cooler, the planting process doesn’t stress shrubs as much, and our winters aren't extreme so it gives new plants a long time to adjust and root before the next heat wave of summer.

Use September as the month of ground prep for new shrubs. Get rid of all weeds, either by hand-picking or spraying weed contorl. Remove plants that are failing. Dig up the soil and turn it over, adding enriching amendments such as cow manure (purchased in a bag at a nursery or garden center), grass clippings, wood chips, straw, and wood ash.

The ground will be ready for installing new shrubs in late September or October. Fall is also a good time to add new trees.

Keep a Watch for Pests
Until the days really cool down, pests remain active. On shrubs and plants, keep a watch for aphids, mites, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Crape Myrtle's will regularly struggle with black sooty mold from Aphids,

As for your Gainesville lawn pests, look for chinch bug damage (dry patches by concrete and curbs), moths fluttering in the lawn (which is the adult sod webworm), and their damage of chewed leaf blades. Leave the beneficial insects alone: lacewings, spiders, mantids, and ladybugs. These good bugs eat the destructive ones. You can also look for lawn fungus, leaf spot, and melting out this time of year as well.

Turn on Irrigation as Needed
Early September may still see afternoon showers. As the fall progresses and less rain falls, homeowners should be prepared to turn on irrigation systems more fequently. Fortunately, many systems are equipped with rain sensors or smart controllers to keep them from running too often. However, the grass still needs monitoring to ensure that it is receiving enough water. 

I hope this is helpful as you plan your Fall Landscape To-Do List. Let us know if we can help your Gainesville lawn or landscape in any way by calling/texting (352) 378-5296 or emailing us at info@themasterslawncare.com.

Like your body, your lawn requires regular water to stay healthy. It’s that simple, really - but there are a few important best practices to know before just running your Gainesville, Florida sprinklers.

1. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF IRRIGATION?

Your lawn loves about an inch of water each week, on average. Some full sun areas require more and deep shaded areas need less, but 1" is about average. In many areas of the U.S., rainfall is plenty, but in Florida's drastic heat and weather changes - we go from needing are sprinklers to run more to needing an improved drainage system to manage all of the rainwater in the span of months.

Typically, spring is a Gainesville Irrigation system's prime time due to high heat and low rainfall. That whole "April showers brings May flowers..." is not typically a good description for Gainesville lawns. Summer's rainfall typically are enough to keep an established lawn healthy without too much additional work by the irrigation system - but this does go in spurts based on our unique weather patterns.

We recommend irrigationg with these rough guidelines:

• 10-25 minutes on fixed spray head zones (that do not rotate)
• 35-85 minutes on rotating head (rotor) zones
• 60-90 minutes on drip tube zones
• 1x per week in winter starting around 6-8am
• 2x per week in the growing season starting around 3-5am
• Use the seasonal adjust function to increase in dry spells and decrease in rainy seasons
• Verify your weather sensor is functioning correctly 2x per year to shut off during rain or frost (or verify WiFi connection for internet weather control if using Hunter's Hydrawise system)

This is the biggest reason client's lawns struggle - improper watering. Homeowners overwater their lawns in winter (causing lawn diseases and inviting webworm damage) and then underwater in spring (causing drought stress and chinch bug damage) because they use a "set it and forget it" mentality.

2. DON'T SET IT AND FORGET IT

Set it and forget it doesn't work with irrigation systems unless you have the most-recent technology to-date such as a WiFi Hydrawise controller, and even then it isn't 100% auto-run, although it is as close as we've ever been. It's more like today's new car systems, that warn you if you're driving outside the lines or coming up on someone too fast. It isn't completely self-driving, but we aren't far from it.

Due to the weather consistently changing, we have to know our irrigation systems' functions to really have a lawn that is it's healthiest. Changing settings within the guidelines listed above as the weather changes is a very good start to taking full advantage of your sprinkler system's strenghts to get the most out of your lawn.

3. WATERING DEEP MATTERS

Less frequent, but deeper watering can build heartier, healthier roots. Water as needed but aim for no more than two times a week, unless you have new landscaping that neeeds watering more often to get established. The Alachua county code regulates this as well. Watering deeper and allowing more time between waterings allows the roots to stretch for water deeper into the soil and causing a stronger lawn over-all. Think of it like lefting weights to stress your muscles, and how that stress makes them stronger and larger. Roots work very similarly. However, just as you can strain your muscles putting them under too mcuh strain, the same can be said for lawns.

More lawn watering tips:

Water early in the morning as possible, whenever you can, between 6AM and 10AM.
Don’t water so long that water is cascading down the street; it’s wasteful. Some lawns that are on slopes can use "soak times" or MP Rotator nozzles to get the right amount of water down without wasting it.
If a brown area of your yard doesn’t respond to watering, there may be a bigger issue like lawn disease, poor water coverage, or pet damage at play.
Don’t water in the evening, for it puts your lawn at risk for disease except in the case of extreme drought.
PRO TIP: Watering in the early morning allows your lawn to dry fully in the sun during the day which can prevent certain fungal diseases that arise due to an overly saturated lawn.

2 STEPS TO KNOWING HOW MUCH WATER YOUR LAWN NEEDS

• Measure your sprinkler output using an inexpensive rainmeter placed in the lawn near the water source, or you can DIY this yourself by using a plastic cup or an empty tuna can with a one-inch level noted with a permanent marker.
• Take note of how long it takes for the rainmeter, plastic cup or empty tuna can to fill to the one-inch mark in the dryest areas of your lawn. This gives you a rule of thumb for how long you should water in that zone, so you can set your sprinkler zone to this amount of time. (We still recommend adjusting seasonally)

We hope this blog is helpful in learning how to properly water your Gainesville lawn. If we can help you with your Gainesville, Fl sprinkler system or Gainesville lawn concerns, give us a call at (352) 378-5296 or email info@themasterslawncare.com.

5. Mulch up your grass clippings

Skip bagging your grass clippings. Instead, mulch them into your lawn, where they'll decompose, adding nutrients into the soil. This will save you work and make your lawn more healthy!

Word to the wise: If your lawn is full of weeds, then your clippings will most likely be full of weed seeds. If you don't want to sprout new weeds, stick to bagging your clippings until you get your weed problem under control with a Gainesville weed control company.

4. Aerate your Lawn

Of course, grass needs sun and water to thrive, but turfgrass also needs air. That’s why it’s important to aerate your lawn if you notice that the soil has become compacted. Aerating your lawn, either with a push aerator or a gas-powered aerator will allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate to the roots of your turfgrass, helping it to flourish. Renting an aerator is usually more expensive than hiring a company to do it for most average-sized lawns, so this is something that you may want to check pricing on before going the DIY route.

3. Water Deeply and Less Often

Unless it's new sod or landscape plants, frequent shallow watering encourages shallow roots and ultimately weakens your lawn and plants. The best thing to do is to water your Gainesville landscape deeply and less frequently. Occasional watering prompts the roots to grow deeper, giving your grass the strength it needs to weather hot conditions. We recommend 2x a week with about 60 minutes for rotor zones and 20 minutes for sprays (in full sun). Here is a tutorial on adjusting your irrigation timer.

2. Test Your Soil through UF-IFAS

Testing your soil every year will arm you with information about its pH, macronutrients, and micronutrients. For a lawn to grow healthy, it usually needs a pH level of  approximately 7. If your soil is too alkaline—if it has a pH level greater than 7—we recommend aeration and milorganite to help bring the pH down (this is common on newer homes built on builder's sand); if it’s too acidic, add lime to reduce the acidity and bring it into balance. These actions will need to be repeated every couple years as your soil will want to return to it's natural pH level. This is why we recommend annual testing and also why we include the initial test in our annual lawn health program. 

1. Fertilize Your Lawn

Usually, your soil is not able to provide all the nutrients your turfgrass needs throughout the entire growing season. That’s why it’s important to fertilize when needed, based upon your IFAS recommendations from your soil test of missing nutrients in the soil. When you should fertilize is determined by the weather as some years it warms up in late February and others it isn't warm until late March. This year, it is the perfect time to fertilize within the next 3 weeks as this last cold front passes through and your turf starts to awaken for spring. 

We hope these 5 tips can help you fall in love with your lawn again this spring! If we can help you with any of the above steps, please don't hesitate to call or text us at (352) 378-5296 or fill out the form above! 

The Angie's List award reflects The Master's consistently high level of customer service and professionalism in the lawn care industry. They have earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award for the 5th year in a row for 2018. This award honors service professionals who have maintained exceptional service ratings and reviews for the Gainesville, Florida Lawn and Landscape market.

“Service pros that receive our Angie’s List Super Service Award represent the best in our network, who are consistently making great customer service their mission,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “These pros have provided exceptional service to our members and absolutely deserve recognition for the exemplary customer service they exhibited.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2018 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include maintaining an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must be in good standing with Angie’s List and undergo additional screening for proper licensing, insurance, and background checks.

"We are blessed to have a team that is committed to exceeding our client's expectations and profesionalism in our industry," said Rusty when asked about the award. "It's one thing to see your job as to do just lawn spraying, or yard mowing, or planting - but it takes it to another level when you have team members see everyhting they do as a way to serve our clients better- and that's what our team does every day."

Rusty Thompson founded The Master's Lawn Care in 2004 after a negative experience with a couple companies as the president of a homeowner's association, and knew that there was a need in the market for a customer-focused company. The Master's Lawn Care has been listed on Angie’s List for over 8 years, and this is the 5th year in a row to have been recognized with this award.

Service company ratings are updated continually on Angie’s List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in multiple fields ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. For over two decades Angie’s List has been a trusted name for connecting consumers to top-rated service professionals. Angie’s List provides unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.

"I was looking at ways to reduce my GRU bill and noticed a heavy portion of it was our irrigation water usage...I also noticed manually having to adjust the timer based on weather was not realistic. This came to the fore this past summer as we seemed to experience a constant spell of rainy days which meant frequent manual shut downs as well as having to remember to reactivate the system once the storms had passed."

This is just one of many reasons people upgrade their Gainesville Irrigation systems to smart controllers - specifically Hunter's Hydrawise system. 

Rain sensors, an Alachua Country code-requirement on sprinkler systems, work decently enough for shutting down sprinklers when there's been excessive rain. However, weather sensors don't have the ability to:

• Shut the irrigation system down when there's a freeze warning to avoid plant damage and water waste.
• Adjust the water settings up and down based on heat or cool temperatures
• Meter the water and alert you if there's a pipe break or busted head causing a high amount of water flow.
• Turn the irrigation off the morning of a day where there's a 90% chance of rain.
• Allow you to remotely adjust your sprinkler settings based on recommendations from your lawn spraying company.

“Set up was also a breeze; a connection to our WiFi and downloading an app on my phone and we were about done!"

Clients have been impressed with the system capability and especially the savings on their water bill.

“As for how much I saved? I cut my water use on our irrigation meter by $73!”– Jeff

Inspired by Jeff’s story and wanting to conserve water? Call us today for more info on getting started with a Gainesville Smart Irrigation Controller!