The essential 7.5 elements that every irrigation system should have to reduce costs of
ownership, improve plant health and appearance, and apply water efficiently.
By Kurt K. Thompson

Property ownership is a complicated act of balancing a desired appearance or function with
financial considerations. This balancing act is no more prevalent that in the landscape. It is
made more confusing because of the misinformation or the lack of information available on
which a proper decision can be based.

When asked about the costs associated with the ownership of an irrigation system, most
property owners think only about the costs of repairing broken components of the system. They
never really consider the costs caused by an incomplete design or installation, nor the proactive
maintenance and adjustments to the irrigation system. Both affect the amount of water that is
used, the health of the plants, and the appearance of the landscape.

As an example, most residential property owners would not think that they could be using
between 2,000 to 5,000 gallons in one irrigation cycle. If system is watering 2 times per week,
that means it is applying 4,000 to 10,000 gallons of water. If an average swimming pool holds
18,000 gallons, then the irrigation system applies enough water to fill a swimming pool every
two to three weeks!

What if there it were known that 30% to 50% of that water was not helping the plants? Or
worse, what if this 30% to 50% is not only was wasted, but the poor application of the water
increased the potential for harmful growing conditions for the plants such as disease, pests, and
weeds? In fact, these are both true for most residential irrigation systems. It is the unfamiliarity
with the irrigation piece of the landscape that leads to both of these conditions.
So what contributes to so much non-beneficial and poorly applied irrigation water? The
answers are found in all three of the stages of an irrigation system:

1. Design and Installation – Sprinklers in the right place, at the right pressure, with the right nozzles
2. Maintenance – Repairing, raising, straightening, realigning, cleaning, etc. AND adjusting to the growing plants and ever-changing conditions in the landscape.
3. Management – Creating and adjusting an accurate and specific irrigation schedule for each zone, for each month or season. This includes the time each zone should operate, the number of times per day or week the zones should operate, the time of day the system should operate, etc.

The challenge for a property owner is to distill all of the available information into the very
essential activities that could serve as the foundation for practical landscape irrigation
installation and maintenance. The following are the seven simple elements of a complete
landscape irrigation system that lead to conserving water in the landscape while creating
healthy growing conditions for the plants and soil. There is one small additional element to help
the property owner tie all of the elements together.

The Essential 7.5 Elements

1. Sprinklers watering landscape beds and turf are on separate zones (valves).
2. Rotating sprinklers and spray sprinklers are on separate zones (valves).
3. Operating pressures of the sprinklers are as close to the manufacturer’s recommendations as practical.
4. Sprinklers are installed in corners and spaced to overlap each other.
5. Irrigation systems do not run when it is raining or has rained.
6. Irrigation schedules are changed to match the water needs of the season ormonth.
7. Components of the irrigation system are observed operating at least every season to ensure proper operation.

                7.5 Utilize licensed and certified professional sprinkler service technicians.

Ignoring these essential seven elements of a complete irrigation system often leads to
unhealthy plants and soils. The increase in landscape maintenance to fight the conditions
created or made worse by poor irrigation practices requires a considerable increase of inputs
such as water, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, manpower, equipment, etc. All of the inputs
have a direct and sometimes significant dollar cost. An evaluation and correction to the
irrigation system today can result in savings that can offset the cost of the adjustments and
continue to pay dividends into the future.

1. Sprinklers watering landscape beds and turf are on separate zones (valves).
The frequency and the amount of irrigation required for healthy plants and soils in turf areas
can be very different from what is required for landscape beds (trees, shrubs, and ground
cover). Irrigation that is applied when not needed is the very definition of wasted water.
Therefore it is imperative to control the timing of water application to the turf separately from
the landscape beds.
The timing of water application is defined in two ways: How long to water (runtime) and how
often to water (frequency). Both are guided by the amount of water that exists in the soil
after the water has been removed by the plants and evaporation.
As a general rule, landscape plants (shrubs and trees) use the water at a different rate and
quantity than turf. This is the result of several factors: the natural water use needs of the
plants, the amount of leaf surface, and the cultivation practices. Therefore, the sprinklers
watering the turf will need to have different runtimes than those watering the landscaped
plants.
An additional difference is that landscape plants have larger root zones than turf. An
individual turfgrass plant's roots are measured in inches of width and depth. But landscape
plants have root zones that are measured in feet. It is not uncommon to have the roots of
established shrubs or trees extend 1.5 to 3.0 times the plant's canopy. This equates to the
landscape plants having more and significantly longer "straws" to access more water than a
small turfgrass plant. Having more and longer roots typically means the landscape plants
should get watered less frequently than the turf AND for different lengths of time.
When landscape beds are watered for the same time and frequency as the turf areas, the
landscape beds can get more water than they need and/or the turf gets too little. In the first
case, the result is wasted water. In either case, the resulting excessively wet or dry soils
lead to unhealthy soils and plants which can lead to conditions that can promote weeds and
diseases.
This all points to the first element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote
healthy plants and soils: Separate the landscape beds from the turf by putting their
respective sprinklers on separate valves (zones). This way they can have different runtime
AND frequencies to meet their different plant water needs.

2. Rotating sprinklers and spray sprinklers are on separate zones (valves).
The two basic types of sprinklers used in landscape irrigation are rotating sprinklers (rotors
or rotators) and spray sprinklers. Visually, the rotors and rotators have streams of water that
move (rotate) and sprays have a fan-like spray that does not move. The principle difference
between the two that can affect wasted water is the rate at which each applies water to the
plants. The scientific term for this is called the precipitation rate.
On average, rotating sprinklers apply water at rates approximately 0.30 to 0.80 inches per
hour. Compare that to the rate for spray sprinklers of approximately 1.2 to over 2.00 inches
per hour. Both are good products, but when using them, it is important to know that sprays
apply water 3 to 5 times FASTER than rotors or rotators.
In terms of controlling wasted water, when sprays and rotating sprinklers are on the same
valve, the areas covered by the sprays will be 3 to 5 times WETTER! (Author's Note: There
is one type of spray that is an exception.) This, too, creates either overly wet or dry areas
and therefore unhealthy plants and soils.
This leads to the second element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote
healthy plants and soils: Put rotors or rotators on separate valves (zones) from spray
sprinklers. This again allows the sprinkler types to be timed to match the different outputs of
water.

3. Operating pressures of the sprinklers are as close to the manufacturer’s recommendations as practical.
Manufacturers design and make nozzles for sprinklers to operate within a specific range of
pressures (psi). Trained irrigation professionals use the nozzle performance charts from the
manufacturers to give them the minimum and maximum pressures for a specific type of
sprinkler with a specific nozzle.
The difference is when the sprinklers are operating in the middle of the
range (the recommended range) they are closer to optimum performance. When operating
them towards either end of the range, the performance can be just adequate. The closer to
optimum performance, the better the chances are to avoid poor coverage (wet or dry areas).
When dry areas are noticed, the common remedy is to increase the runtimes to get the dry
areas more water. This makes the sufficiently covered areas wet and the wet areas wetter.
Addressing the cause of the pressure problems is the recommended action.
This is the basis for the third element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote
healthy plants and soils: Design the water source and the piping system, along with
sprinkler and nozzle selection, to ensure the sprinklers are operating as close to optimum
pressures as practical (as defined by the manufacturers). This will help to avoid overly wet
or overly dry areas.
4. Sprinklers are installed in corners and spaced to overlap each other
All sprinkler nozzles are designed by all manufacturers to provide the most uniform
coverage when overlapping each other. This requires that sprinklers be placed in all
corners AND each sprinkler throws water all the way to the sprinklers next to them and
across from them.
This does not have to be perfect as can be seen in the illustration above. Without sprinklers
in the corners, the areas in the corners will not receive the same amount of water as the rest
of the irrigated area. This will result in having to run the sprinklers longer to compensate,
and then the middle areas will get too wet. Then the run times will have to be reduced, and
the corners will be too dry. This constantly fluctuation between overly wet and overly dry
wastes water and makes for stressed plants and poor growing conditions.
So the fourth element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote healthy plants
and soils: Sprinklers are installed in corners and spaced to overlap each other.
As a side note, all of the sprinklers need to have the correct nozzle installed. They almost
NEVER all have the same nozzle in them, even if they come from the factory that way.
Scientifically speaking, the gallons per minute of the nozzles need to be proportionate to the
degree of arc they cover. The sprinklers also need be adjusted (and kept in adjustment) so
that they do not water walkways, driveways, or other areas not intended to receive water
from the sprinklers.

5. Irrigation systems do not run when it is raining or has rained.
At the very core of being responsible to avoid wasting water in the landscape is to ensure
the irrigation system should only apply water when it is needed by the plants and NOT just
when the controller is scheduled to operate. This means that when Mother Nature supplies
adequate water to the plants in the form of rainfall, the irrigation system should not operate.
The scientific reasons for this can be understood by thinking about the needs of the plants
for air and water in the soil containing their roots. Too much water means not enough air.
So if tiny spaces within the soil have been filled with rainwater, applying irrigation during or
too soon after the rainfall event can make the soils lack the right balance of air and water.
Not enough air in the soil leads to any number of bad situations for the health of the plants.
To prevent the controller from operating as scheduled when there has been adequate
rainfall, all controllers should have a rain shut-off device. The least costly type of rain shutoff
device is a rain switch (also called a rain sensor). It can be attached to the controller
using a hard-wired or wireless connection. It works by setting a series of rain-absorbing
discs to block the controller’s signal to the valves when adequate rainfall has occurred.
A second common type of rain shut-off device is a soil moisture sensor. A high-tech sensor
is placed into the soil and it transmits (hard-wired or wirelessly) the level of moisture in the
soil to a receiver that is wired to the controller. The receiver is set up to block the signal to
the valves just like the rain sensor. A soil moisture sensor is complicated enough that a
professional irrigation contractor should complete the installation and setup.
So the fifth element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote healthy plants and
soils is: Every controller should have a rain shut-off device in order to prevent the irrigation
system form applying water during or after it rains. This helps keep the right balance of
water and air in the soil.
Unknown to many end users, a rain shut-off device is required by law in many states and
localities. At the very least, it is part of the Irrigation Association’s best management
practices, the EPA Water Sense program, and most all other minimum irrigation standards.

6. Irrigation schedules are changed to match the water needs of the season or month.
If the plant types and sprinkler types are controlled separately by being placed on different
valves (zones), and there is a rain shut-off device installed on the controller, then the timing
of the water application can effectively be regulated by the irrigation controller. This is
typically accomplished by adjusting the amount and frequency of the irrigation based on the
changing needs of the plants within each irrigation zone commonly referred to as the
irrigation schedule.
The changes in water needs of the plants are driven by a number of ever-fluctuating
conditions of the landscape within each zone:

• The size of the plants as they grow
• The time of the year (plant growth cycle – blooming, fruiting, etc.)
• The number of plants (adding or changing plants)
• The changes in the weather

At the basic level, the irrigation schedule should be adjusted seasonally. Unfortunately, it is
typical that a schedule is entered into the controller at the beginning of the year intending to
satisfy the highest water needs of the year. Then the schedule is never changed during the
year. This causes too much water to be applied in the spring and fall (and winter if there is a
12 month irrigation year).
As the plants move through their annual growth cycle and the weather
changes, so does the water need – more during the summer months and less in the spring
and fall. Any water above that line does not benefit the plant and has the potential to
contribute to the conditions for poor plant health caused by overly wet soils.
The dark-shaded area represents the amount of water wasted by setting the controller to
satisfy the peak water needs of the plants at the beginning of the year and not adjusting it
until the system is turned off for the winter. This demonstrates the common claim that when
the first four rules of preventing wasted water are combined with adjusting the controller
monthly, it typically reduces the irrigation water use by 20% to 50%.
Each lightly shaded area represents a monthly adjustment made to more closely meet the
needs of the plants. While it would increase the amount of wasted water compared to
monthly adjustments, these can be simplified into four seasonal adjustments: On (or
adjusted) for the spring; Adjusted for the summer; Adjusted for the fall; Off (or adjusted) for
the winter.
Therefore, the fifth element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote healthy
plants and soils is: Adjust the irrigation schedule to meet the changing plant water needs at
least seasonally, or better yet, monthly.
This can be accomplished automatically by features found in some more advanced (but still
very affordable) controllers or the even more advanced “Smart” controllers. For Smart
controllers to be effective, the first three rules MUST be in place and a trained professional
is needed to set up the controller with specific information about the sprinklers, the plants,
the soils, and other conditions in the landscape, and only trained professionals are allowed
to make adjustments.

7. Components of the irrigation system are observed operating at least two times per irrigation year to ensure proper operation.
Most landscape irrigation systems are scheduled to operate during times of the day when
they will not interfere with the use of the landscape. This typically means they operate in the
wee hours of the morning. The result: No one sees them and therefore does not know if
they are operating correctly. The effect of things that might be out of adjustment or broken
can often be invisible until the physical damage they cause becomes extreme or plants are
dead. The sooner the problem is identified, the more the negative effects can be minimized.
The simplest of things can create significant amounts of wasted water or unhealthy
conditions for the plants. Examples of sprinkler problems that regularly require adjustment
regardless of the quality of installation are:

•  Crooked or Tilted
•  Misaligned – Water is not going where it is intended
•  Sunken – Sprinkler does not pop up high enough
•  Broken – Mower, vehicle, or vandalism damage
•  Clogged – Debris in the system clogs the sprinkler filter or nozzle
•  Overspray - Sprinkler throws onto the fence, building, roads, driveways, or sidewalks
•  Blocked – Plants normal growth obstructs the water from getting to the intended areas
•  Leaks – Aging seals in sprinklers, sprinkler connections to pipes, or the pipes themselves
• Changes in Pressure – As the development or community is built out, the demand for water increases and everyone is irrigating during the same hours causing the pressure to decrease

Thus the seventh element of the seven to minimize wasted water and promote healthy
plants and soils is: At least two times during the irrigation year, all sprinklers, valves, rain or
soil moisture sensors, and other critical components should be observed in operations and
maintained. This may not be frequent enough for components like filters, lake screens, foot
valves, or others.
An irrigation system is much like the braking and suspension systems in an automobile:
they both are essential support systems which require regular preventative maintenance.
Preventative maintenance beyond just regular observations may prevent catastrophic
failures and lower the operational costs of the irrigation system. The items that are
preplaced BEFORE they fail as part of a yearly preventative maintenance program should
include items such as: valve solenoids or diaphragms, rain sensor discs, waterproof wire
connectors at the valves, riser seals in sprinklers, and worn sprinkler nozzles. The
frequency of these preventative maintenance actions ranges from between 3 and 5 years,
depending on how often the system is used during the year.

7.5 Look for Licensed and Certified Professional Irrigation Contractors
The average person owner does not perform anything more than the most simple of
maintenance activities on their automobile because of complexity, time, or a lack of
understanding of how working on one component will affect the operation of other. An
irrigation system is no different. But finding a professional who does understand these
things about an irrigation system can be intimidating. This is where national trade
associations can help. Look for landscape and irrigation professionals with irrigation
licenses (where required) and/or national certifications.
The Irrigation Association (IA) is the national certifying body for
the irrigation industry that offers the following certifications that
would benefit both residential and commercial property
owners.

• Certified Irrigation Contractor: Experienced business owners who execute irrigation projects to install, maintain and repair irrigation systems.
• Certified Irrigation Designer – Residential, Commercial, or Golf: Establish specifications and design drawings for irrigation projects.
• Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor – Landscape or Golf: Evaluate the irrigation system conditions and water-use data, as well as test and measure the components.
• Certified Landscape Water Manager: Evaluate, operate, manage and improve landscape irrigation systems to achieve the highest level of water conservation possible.
• Certified Irrigation Technician: Technicians that install, maintain, and repair irrigation systems.

The professionals who have achieved these credentials must complete continuing education
to maintain them. Look for companies that are active in the state or local trade associations
and community events. They have the industry and local knowledge that provide the best
possible solutions to minimize wasted water and promote healthy plants and soils and focus
on industry best practices to ensure high value for the money invested.

If your Zoysia lawn is suffering from dead spots this summer like the photo above, you aren't alone. Although Gainesville lawns have historically been St. Augustine grass, Zoysia has began making a major push as the turf of choice for a few years. With valid and proven claims of chinch bug-resistance and drought tolerance, even strict homeowner's associations like Haile Plantation that previously only allowed St. Augustine lawns have begun to allow Zoysia sod in their neighborhood.    However, it is extremely important to realize how Zoysia grass reacts to drought and what makes it drought-tolerant. It isn't that it needs less water than St. Augustine lawns or that it stays green longer than St. Augustine, either. Actually, it's quite the opposite. Zoysia actually turns brown before St. Augustine when facing drought stress and needs the same amount of water to stay green. The difference is the fact that Zoysia actually lives through the drought whereas St. Augustine will die.    To save you time and reading, a visual presentation (YouTube video) may help make a better explanation.  

That's great information to have. However, now you have brown spots in your Zoysia lawn and you want to know how to get them green again. Here is the approach I use on our client's lawns:

 

1. INCREASE WATER: If the problem is drought stress, naturally the first step would be to increase the amount of water it's getting and how long it sits on the lawn. Many people will worry about their GRU water bill at this point, but it comes down to asking yourself, "what is more important?" A green vibrant lawn or your water bill? Only you can make that choice. There are several ways to increase the water gettting to your lawn's roots: (here is a tutorial on how to change your Gainesville irrigation timer settings)
   • Increasing the frequency (watering more often)
   • Increasing the duration (minutes that the zones run)
   • Setting back the start time (running earlier in the morning so the water saturated the lawn longer before evaporation by the sun). 
2. HYDRETAIN - If the heat and drought is affecting your lawn, but the irrigation requirements or GRU bill consideration give you pause to increase your watering, the next step is to use a produsct called Hydretain. It's a product that alows your lawn to retain 50% more water than it currently does and will help your lawn utilize each ounce of water it gets to the fullest. Here is a link to learn about how it works. Long story short, it holds more moisture in the ground when in drought situations to help the grass stay healthy, and it's relatively inexpensive, too. It's only $95-$125 and lasts for 3 months (which is all we really need to make it through summer). 
3. THATCH - After you see your moisture in your soil increase, rake out the thatch from the dead areas to promote the regeneration of your Gainesville lawn. Currently, that thatch is acting like a mulch and buffer from the heat, helping to hold moisture on the soil longer and keep the soil cooler. But once the lawn starts to regrow, that thatch will actually deter it from rejuvenation. For that reason, after a few weeks of irrigation and hydretain, rake it out.
4. PEST PREVENTION - Although Zoysia is chinch bug resistant, when it faces drought stress it can get insect damage. Similar to a human's immune system being lowered, Zoysia grass loses it's pest-resistance as it gets more stressed - and that attracts the lawn pests you don't want making your problem worse. Have your lawn sprayed by a licensed lawn pest control company.

Taking those 4 steps should have your lawn rejuvenated in a few weeks. As the green returns and the summer rains get re-started, you can back the irrigation times up and begin fertilizing for the fall. 

If you feel that your irrigation system isn't functioning properly, we would love to schedule a $95 One-Hour Irrigation Tune-up with Mike, our sprinkler technician. If you feel that chinch bugs may be contributing to your brown lawn, schedule a meeting with our lawn pest control technician, Joe. If we can be of help in any way, please call our office at (352) 378-LAWN today, or fill out our online request by clicking the above links. 

Are you tired of brown spots in your lawn? or is your grass receeding rather than spreading? In most cases, improper irrigation lies at the root of the problem. I always get asked about proper watering and how homeowners can be sure they're watering enough - especially in Summer. We broke it down in the simplest way possible, but please realize we are dealing with lots of variables.

There are three simple characteristics of an irrigation timer's settings for: Frequency, Duration, and Start Time. If these three items are being properly attained, then the resulting turfgrass will be thick, strong, green, and vigorous, and will help repel lawn-damaging insects, weeds, and disease more easily.

The University of Florida states: “A properly irrigated grass plant is better able to withstand pressure from weeds and insects. Weed problems in a lawn indicate that the turf has been weakened by improper management practice. Proper management practices can eliminate most weed problems.”

Proper irrigation system maintenance in addition to a standardized Turf Treatment Program will provide optimal results for a lush and healthy Gainesville lawn.

[Frequency] - How Often Should I Run My Irrigation System? 

For an already healthy lawn, 2-3 times per week*. During the summer months, a healthy St. Augustine lawn can only go 2 to 5 days between irrigation events, based on the heat and humidity. Weakened turf needs to be irrigated more often due to the lack of deep roots.
*Always follow Local and State laws in regards to watering restrictions. As of January 2013, Gainesville residents can use automatic sprinklers 2x/ week, unless there have been new sod or plants installed. Hand-watering hot spots or weak lawns may be necessary. Hand-watering is NOT prohibited, so long as it is after 6pm or before 8am.

[Duration] - How Long Should I Water For? 

Spray Zones at 25 minutes, Rotor Zones at 45 minutes.
The exact answer to this question is “½ to ¾ inch of water per irrigation event” (UF IFAS, 1999), but depth is much harder to determine than duration.
In an irrigation system with optimal pressure coverage, the sprinkler run times listed above should provide the correct depth of watering. Please realize though that there are several different environmental factors that can change this. For example, if a part of your lawn is in deep shade, consistently struggles with fungus, or is a low-lying area that holds water, reduce the suggested times. Also, if an area of your lawn is in full sun, has sandy soil, or has newer sod, increasing these times may be neccessary.

If you are following the above Frequency and Duration and still have “hot spots,” you may need to have your Sprinkler System checked by a professional. It is important to adjust your sprinkler system seasonally, because lawn watering requirements vary throughout the year.

[Start Time] - When Should I Water My Lawn? 

The best time is in the early morning hours (4:00am to 6:00am), prior to the dew.

Watering in the evening may be detrimental if it leaves the lawn wet for hours on end, which may accelerate lawn fungus issues. Watering during the day wastes water due to excessive evaporation from the sun. 

You can literally save thousands of gallons of water on your Gainesville lawn with the proper setting of your Gainesville sprinkler system controller. But you can't just set it and forget it. You need to change the watering schedules as plants become established, with the changing seasons, and when it rains (unless you have a working rain sensor). Here's an easy guide to make setting your irrigation controller easier than programming your DVR.

 

Basic Irrigation Timer Terminology

• Stations is another word for Zones on your irrigation system. A Professional Gainesville Irrigation installer will put plants with similar water needs on the same station or zone. This allows for more efficient watering since all the sprinklers on a single valve will run for the same amount of time. Multiple stations or zones allow you to customize watering amounts for different types of plants by allowing for different run times for different valves. (You may want more water on a sunny area of your lawn, and less in the shaded area)

• The Start Time is the time at which a specific valve will open to irrigate a station or zone. This is best set early in the morning. (We set ours for around 4 or 5am)

• The Run Time or Duration is the time, in minutes, a specific zone will stay running. (The recommended amount is typically anywhere from 15-60 minutes, depending on the sun / shade of that zone, type of plants/grass, etc.)

• Off or Stop will stop programs from running until you switch back to ‘Run’. Your programs will be saved. This is great during rainy periods. (as long as you remember to turn it back on!)

• The Manual Start button allows you to run a single zone for the amount of time you select. This is helpful when you want to tune-up your irrigation system or when you only want to run one zone that needs some extra water.

• A Program is where you store all of your settings. For simplicity, we will not go into separate programs at this time.

 

Programming Your Gainesville Sprinkler Controller

Due to there being a varying array of different timer brands and types from Rainbird to Hunter to Irritrol and others, we recommend you to use YouTube for the best programming help.

 

Programming Tips

• Different plants have different watering needs.

• Group stations or valves that require similar watering frequencies on the same program (such as A, B, or C)

• Enter only one start time for each program even when there are multiple stations or valves

• Enter different start times on different programs (A, B, C) to avoid overlap of water times.

• Use multiple start times if excessive runoff is a problem

 

Remember…

The controller controls the Gainesville irrigation system, but YOU control the controller.

 

Links to Gainesville Irrigation Controller Manufacturers

• Rainbird 800-724-6247, www.rainbird.com

• Hunter 800-733-2823, www.hunterindustries.com

• Irritrol Systems 800-634-8873, www.irritrolsystems.com

• Orbit 800-488-6156, www.orbitirrigation.com
   

Here's a few YouTube videos of the most popular irrigation controllers to make changing your Gainesville Irrigation Controller settings easier.

If none of these videos are similar to your controller, please visit www.YouTube.com and type in the brand and model of your irrigation controller for videos related to your controller.

St. Augustine lawns are a wide-bladed, warm-weather, grass that does well in Gainesville, Florida. It grows quickly in summer and slows down during winter, needing less water. Too little water can damage your lawn, but too much can also lead to lawn health problems because St. Augustine has shallow roots and is vulnerable to fungal attacks.

Look out for the following four signs you're overwatering your Gainesville lawn:

1. Depressions: If you walk on your lawn and the grass leaves don’t spring back, this is often a symptom of overwatering. Your footprints will leave matted depressions. This can also be a sign of dry lawns too, but you probably know if your lawn is too dry.
2. Curled Leaves: When the leaves show signs of curling, it’s usually because they have had too much water. This is a lawn care mistake that many people make. Don’t water again until the leaves have straightened out. However, do not make the mistake of thinking folding leaves mean overwatering. Leaves folding in the middle are a sign of needing irrigation, where as curling longways signifies too much water. 
3. Fungus / Disease: Overwatered St. Augustine grass is at risk of being attacked by a fungus called ‘brown patch.' When the lawn starts showing signs, brown circles appear in multiple patches, like the photo above. There typically is yellowing on the outer ring of the circle, as well. This is under the immediate need of lawn spraying of fungicide and reducing sprinkler settings to remedy the problem. 
4. Change in Color: Overwatered St. Augustine often changes in color. The blades take on a grayish-blue hue, instead of a deep green.

What about St. Augustine grass and weeds? Several weeds can affect over-irrigated grass, causing the need for Gainesville lawn weed control - including dollarweed, clover, chickweed, henbit, crabgrass, and goosegrass. These weeds not only rob the grass of nutrients, but they can completely take over areas of a lawn. If your St. Augustine grass is being invaded by weeds, consult with a professional lawn fertilization company and ask for an estimate to have the problem resolved.

If you need professional lawn care in Gainesville, Fla, contact us at The Master's Lawn Care. If you have a vision for your lawn, we can turn it into a reality. Give us a call today!

As our local water continues to increase in price and become more scarce, water from your irrigation system landing on the side walk instead of the lawn and landscape cannot be tolerated. Water from Gainesville sprinklers is often lost long before the water hits the ground. There are a variety of ways water is wasted with spray head irrigation – wind, evaporation, run off, misting and overspray all play a role. Pop-up sprinkler heads have never been a very efficient way to water.

During the last 25 years there have been literally millions of spray heads installed across the nation. Replacing all the spray heads for a different type of irrigation is an expensive and daunting task. Fortunately with technological advances in nozzles, the efficiency of a pop-up sprinkler can be improved. High efficiency nozzles such as Hunter MPRs help combat wasted water with spray heads several ways and typically improve the efficiency of your system by 10% – 20%.

LARGER DROPLETS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

High efficiency irrigation nozzles deliver heavier streams and bigger droplets. The extra weight helps prevent those droplets from being carried away by wind. According to most manufacturers, the high efficiency nozzles allow a much more significant amount (some as much as 35% in certain conditions) of water to land on the targeted landscape area.

LESS RUN-OFF SAVES MONEY

High efficiency nozzles apply water to your landscape at a much slower pace than traditional spray nozzles, too. This allows the water more time to soak into the soil without wasting water with runoff. Because the water is being applied at a slower rate and they are designed to operate at lower presser, they can be an excellent solution if you experience low water pressure.

SLOWER SPRINKLER RATES SAVE WATER

It can seem counter-intuitive to use these nozzles, though. Because the amount of water applied is at a slower rate in most cases you will have to increase the amount of time you water. You will have to recalculate your run times so the run times reflect the amount of water being applied. Our Gainesville Irrigation Service Technicians are always glad to help with any part of the upgrade process should you choose. Installing high efficiency nozzles requires some time. To make the switch in an existing Irrigation system you will have to turn your system on and mark all the sprinkler heads. Then, turn your system off, unthread the old nozzles and thread the new nozzle. (Remember a new filter) Turn the system on again and make the necessary alignment adjustments. Turn the system off and move to the next irrigation zone. The adjustment portion is very important and the most time consuming portion of the nozzle replacement. Overall I have been very impressed with the performance of high efficiency nozzles. I have also had success with better water coverage working with an existing low pressure system. You will find the cost of the nozzles and installation will be worth the expense because to the water savings will cover the cost over the next few years.

In addition to the cost savings, you can sleep better at night night knowing your Gainesville lawn is receiving the water it needs in a responsible and eco-friendly way. Call the Gainesville Sprinkler Service professionals at (352) 378-5296 to schedule an Irrigation Service call, or click the link to fill out an online form. We would love to help in any way possible.

If you are considering installing a Gainesville sprinkler system, the following answers to frequently asked questions can help get you started towards owning the most convenient and efficient way to water your lawn and landscape.Receive answers to all of your irrigation questions from the experienced staff at The Master's Lawn Care in Gainesville, Florida. Our team understands that you might have a lot of different questions regarding the installation and maintenance of a Gainesville Irrigation system. Take a look at the list of frequently asked questions below to see if your answer is covered or contact us today with any additional questions you might have.

Will an automatic sprinkler system use more water than I'm currently using?
No; in fact it will conserve water. You won't have to worry about wasting water when you forget to turn off the hose, or runoff from over watering. Also, with a rain sensor, your system will know when it has rained and will shut itself off when watering is not needed.

Will an automatic sprinkler system water as well as I can by hand?
It will do a much better job. Your professionally designed 100% TRUE coverage system will deliver the right amount of water to individual lawn and garden areas—for example, less water in heavily shaded areas.

Will installing a system with fewer heads than you recommend reduce my water bill?
Absolutely not, in fact the opposite is true. There are a few things our Gainesville, Fl irrigation specialist can do to help keep your water bill down. First of all, we make sure you are not watering your neighbor's yard, your driveway, the road, or your house. Secondly, we make sure your system has enough sprinkler heads to cover the lawn evenly. If we skimp on heads, you will have some areas that are under watered. In your efforts to put enough water on those poorly covered areas, you will over water the areas having proper coverage, paying for this extra water each time you run your system.

There is no cheaper sprinkler system, in the long run, than a system that covers the entire lawn with balanced, even and proper 100% true coverage. Do the job right in the first place, or you will pay later in the form of a poor looking lawn, repairs, and excessive water bills.

Will our future landscaping plans have any effect on our sprinkler system design?
The answer to this question depends upon what your plans are. If you have plans for a shrub hedge along a property line it would have a great impact, since it may end up blocking spray from planned rotor heads. On the other hand, substitution of shrubs for lawn in most areas in front of or around the sides and/or back on the home only result in us having to specify shrub risers rather than lawn popup heads in those specific areas. If you think you may have future shrub plans, let us know when we do our estimate for you.

What about the timer? Is it easy to operate?
All of the electronic timers we install are user friendly. You will be fully instructed on how to use it, and will find that after a few tries you will be an expert at it. It also has a battery back up so you don't have to reset your timer if you experience a power outage. Also, by using the most popular brand on the market, there are many video tutorials on YouTube if you were to forget how to reset it, lose your manual, or not want a technician to assist. 

When is the best time to water my lawn?
The ideal time for your sprinkler system to complete the watering cycle is shortly before sunrise. Your lawn and other vegetation begins the process of transpiration (drawing water from soil) when the sun hits it in the morning. By noon, most vegetation is either inactive or discharging water through evaporation. People that water in the afternoon are not watering in a cost effective manner. Evening watering results in having the lawn staying saturated all night long. This can contribute to various fungal and disease conditions, as well as a need for Gainesville Lawn Spraying.

How often should I check my irrigation system for performance?

It’s a good idea to check it 2-3 times per year to make sure that everything is functioning correctly and water is being applied as needed to the plant material and lawn areas. We do offer this service of inspection if you choose. 

What should I look for during my system performance check?

Turn on each zone and observe the operation to make sure the spray from each sprinkler is going where it’s needed, and not where it is unwanted. Make sure all rotary sprinklers are rotating in their intended arc. Look for any wet or dry spots and see if there is an obvious reason why that is occurring. Also, be aware that sometimes the controller may need to be adjusted if temperatures are extremely hot or cold, and to stay within Gainesville's Irrigation Guidelines. Below is a checklist.

• Verify the proper operation of each zone valve by activating it from the sprinkler timer.
• Walk through each station on the controller, checking for proper operation of the zone. Check for property operating pressure (low pressure indicates a line break or missing head), proper rotation and adjustment of sprinkler heads, and adequate coverage. Check and clean filters on poorly performing sprinklers. Adjust heads to grade as necessary.
• Check for heads being blocked by new growth from shrubs, low hanging tree limbs, or new plantings that aren't getting sufficient coverage.
• Reprogram the controller for automatic watering. Replace the controller back-up battery if necessary.
• Inspect the rain sensor, to make sure it will shut system down as saturation occurs (most rain sensors have a test button to use)
• Finish and clean any in-line filters for drip irrigation zones.
• It is recommended that our qualified irrigation technician perform this type of service in order not to void our warranty if your system was installed by our team.

Know Your Watering Day(s) by the table below:

Time of Year Residential: Odd-Numbered/
No Address Residential: Even-Numbered Address Non-Residential: All Addresses Daylight Saving Time
(3/8/15 - 11/1/15) Wednesday &
Saturday Thursday &
Sunday Tuesday &
Friday Eastern Standard Time
(11/1/15 - 3/13/16) Saturday Sunday Tuesday
 

 

We hope this has answered your questions about your current or upcoming irrigation system. We look forward to serving you in any way possible. Call our office at (352) 378-LAWN or fill out our online irrigation service form.

 

One of my constant talking points is that a Gainesville lawn needs 3 main ingredients to thrive: water,  food, and sun.  If it has all three, grass will grow on concrete (not forever, but if it didn’t, we wouldn’t need edgers).  If you’re missing one of those three things the lawn won’t get any better regardless of what you do.  Today, I want to discuss the importance of water, or more importantly how you can tell if your lawn problem is water-related.

If your lawn developed brown spots last spring in the sunny areas, I’d venture to guess that your problem is water-related.  Most of the lawn issues we see in May and June are from the dry spells we experience.  These brown spots during droughts are generally caused by one of two things if you have a Gainesville Irrigation system:  Improper irrigation coverage or incorrect watering times. 

Imagine filling a gallon bucket with water and setting it out in your yard. When you check your bucket a week later, you’re going to find it still has water, but you’ve lost an inch or so from evaporation.  That’s what happens to your lawn and landscape plants if the evaporation isn’t replaced by rain and/or irrigation water. If you had the bucket of water in full sun, it would experience more evaporation than one in deep shade. Also, a bucket put out in summer would lose more to evaporation than one in winter. 

All of that is just to explain that drought stress is most prevalent in the sunny areas of your lawn and in the driest times of the year.  

 

How can you be sure it's drought stress? Good news! St. Augustine and Zoysia lawns are very easy to diagnose drought stress in. Both leaves have a midvein that acts as a “spine” for each individual blade of grass, allowing it to open and close as needed.  Healthy, well-watered grass blades will appear almost completely flat and totally open. When grass begins to dry out, the blade will close in half upon itself, to reduce its exposure to the sun and thus reduce its need for water. This will also give the grass a “hazy” look, as the backs of the blades are not as deep a green as the enclosed fronts.

 

In addition to making sure you get enough water on your lawn, it is just as important to not get too much as well. Ever heard the old saying about there being "Too much of a good thing?" This is the case with water too, especially in the shady areas of your lawn. Not allowing your Gainesville lawn to dry out (whether it's St. Augustine or Zoysia) will cause it to get what's commonly called 'brown patch fungus' and it will damage your lawn if not handled appropriately.

Four Quick Tips to Avoid Over or Under Watering Your Lawn:

1. Run your irrigation early in the morning. I set mine to start at 4AM. 
2. Run your Rotor or Rotator Zones for about 45 minutes. Shrub/Ornamental zones can be set to 25 (deeper root systems).
3. Run your irrigation system in accordance with local county or city restrictions, but optimal settings are 3 times per week.  
4. Have your system serviced by a locally licensed irrigation professional seasonally to ensure proper coverage, reduce water waste, and keep it in working order. 

If you have questions or concerns about your lawn, call (352) 378-5296, email me at info@themasterslawncare.com or fill out our contact form for more information.

Resources (click the links below):

• How to Program Your Irrigation Timer Settings
• University of Florida 'Watering Your Lawn' Information
• 1st Basic Need of a Lawn: Sun
• 3rd Basic Need of a Lawn: Food
• Video Blog: Side by Side lawn comparison 
• TMLC Lawn Care Program: Six Visits explained 

For most of Gainesville Regional Utilities' residential customers, 'tis the season to be stingy. Their wastewater rates for 2014 will be determined by their usage beginning with the billing cycle that starts this month.

Called the "winter max," the rates most residential customers pay are determined by how much water is used for the January and February bills. And depending on when their meters are read, whether at the beginning of the month or the end, the dial my already be in motion.

Basically, the wastewater rate — since most residents don't have wastewater meters — is determined by taking the average daily water consumption for those two months, multiplying that by 30.4 and rounding to the nearest 1,000 gallons.

GRU charges $5.29 for every thousand gallons used, in addition to a $6.50 customer charge.

The average consumer uses 5,000 gallons of water a month, down from 6,000 two or three years ago, said Kim Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the city-owned utility.

"Winter months are used to set this winter max ... because the amount of irrigation is typically lower," Jamerson said.

That way, the rates are more comparable to actual usage inside the home and not counting water that isn't being run through the wastewater system. However, if your Gainesville Irrigation system is not set to run less than it did in summer and fall, you won't see any savings. 

It appears that most Gainesville residents have received the message that reducing consumption benefits their pocketbooks — not to mention the environment, although there has been some albeit minimal blowback.

Regardless, he said, the district has received a lot of support from residents since officially limiting Gainesville irrigation systems to running two times a week in the warmer, wetter months and once a week in the dry season.

"We're getting a lot of compliance with it," Still said. "A lot of people understand the issues."

If you need help resetting your irrigation timer to use less water during the winter, feel free to call us for all of your Gainesville Sprinkler System needs. 

 

How to program your Gainesville irrigation controller

You can save a lot of water in your Gainesville landscape, and save your plants from drought stress or overwatering, with the proper and timely adjusting of your Gainesville sprinkler system controller. The key is to not "set it and forget it". You need to change the watering schedules as plants become established, with the changing seasons, and when it rains (unless you have a Smart Wifi Hydrawise Controller or functioning weather sensor). Here's an easy guide to make setting your irrigation controller easier than setting your coffee maker. If you don't already know how much water your plants need, our Landscape Watering Guide will help walk you through the steps.

Basic Controller Features

• Stations control the valves that release the water to the Zones in your yard and landscape. Put plants with similar water needs on the same station or zone. This allows for more efficient watering since all emitters and/or sprinklers on a single valve will run for the same amount of time. Multiple stations or zones allow you to customize watering amounts for different types of water needs (full sun vs. shade, turf vs. Plants), by allowing for different run times for different areas.
• The Start Time is the time at which the first valve will open to irrigate that particular area of the yard, and then continue on through the rest of the program.
• The Run Time is the time, in minutes, a specific valve will stay open and therefore water a zone. This is a major key to increasing/devreasing water to specific areas of your yard that are struggling. Off or Stop will stop programs from running until you toggle back to ‘Run’. Your programs will be saved. This is great during rainy periods (as long as you remember to turn it back on!).
• The Manual button allows you to run a single valve or entire system for the amount of time it is set for. This is helpful when you want to tune-up your irrigation system and check for leaks, misaligned sprinkler heads, or clogged drip emitters or run an extra time during the week.
• A Program is where you store all of your settings. It consists of a set of stations set to specific start times and run times. Here, multiple programs A, B, & C allow you to run different valves on different days with different run times. Make sure each program runs stations with similar plant water needs to maximize irrigation efficiency. We recommend only using additional programs once you have a complete understanding of the irrigation controller, as this is where controllers can be confusing.
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Programming Your Gainesville Sprinkler Controller

For easy programming, first slide the "Set Program" (1) toggle to the middle, and then start in the upper left corner of your controller and move clockwise through the settings. Start with program A (2). Set the dial to current time and use the +/– buttons to locate the current time of day. Turn the dial one click to the left and use the +/- buttons to locate the day of the week. You only have to do this once (3). Turn the dial to the “valve run times” to select a station and use the +/– buttons to enter the amount of watering time for that valve, which sends water to a particular zone in your yard or garden (4). Turn the dial to start times and use the +/– buttons to select time you'd like your irrigation to begin. You can have three different start times per day, but typically you only need one (5). Now turn the dial to “schedule” the days you want your irrigation to run or the numbers of days to skip in between watering. Use the +/- buttons to enter this information (6). Now repeat steps 3, 4 & 5 for each station/valve you are controlling, and program A is complete. Use programs B & C for other zones that require difference frequencies of watering, such as turf, Xeriscape, vegetable gardens, etc.

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Programming Tips

Different plants have different watering needs. Use multiple start times if excessive runoff is a problem Remember… The controller controls the Gainesville irrigation system, but YOU control the controller.

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• Links to Gainesville Irrigation Controller Manufacturers

• 
  800-724-6247, www.rainbird.com
• Hunter
  800-733-2823, www.hunterindustries.com
• Irritrol Systems
  800-634-8873, www.irritrolsystems.com
• Orbit
  800-488-6156, www.orbitirrigation.com

Here's a YouTube Video to make changing your Gainesville Irrigation Controller settings easier. 

 

 

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