Hurry Up Fall- It's Hot!
Although we had a nice big rain event in mid August- and one to start September (woohoo!)- this has been a very hot, dry, challenging summer season for north Texas gardeners. I can’t say enough good things about the rain, let's hope we continue to see more. We have been running a rain deficit all year and have had brutally hot temperatures, setting several new records. Any rain is good rain, and that should ring true for the rest of the year or until we finally get some major moisture.
Up north, fall dependably begins in September when the kids head back to school. Around here, be prepared for another two months of hot weather. We should catch a break in October, but our lawns and plants don’t know that fall officially begins September 22nd. They just know they haven’t had enough to drink all season.
Regardless of the eventual onset of cooler weather, September and October are two very important months for north Texas gardeners.
Probably the most important chore coming up is the application of fall pre-emergent weed preventative to our lawns and beds. Equally important is a fall fertilization with a balanced product including potassium for the roots. Some gardening experts will tell you there is a perfect range of days in which to apply pre-emergent, but in truth that range can be quite extensive, and even applications outside of the peak period can be effective. But if you are a do-it-yourselfer, this is the single most important application you can make. Don’t forget to do it! Fall veggie gardens can be a bright spot at the end of this tunnel of heat. There are a number of veggies you can plant from seed and transplants over the next few weeks and then enjoy harvesting when our milder weather finally returns. Check out this easy guide from Texas Agricultural Extension Services: http://dallas-tx.tamu.edu/files/2010/06/Vegetable-Planting-Guide.pdf
It is also nearly time to plant shrubs and trees again. So take heart! Next month we will hopefully be talking about fall weather.Winding Down a Challenging Summer
This was a record year for temperatures and seemingly for chinch bug damage as well. I have never seen so many chinch bug problems. They will remain active as long as it remains hot, so if you see a dead patch starting in your St Augustine check for a sprinkler problem and then treat immediately if chinch are present. I had 4 different patches of chinch bugs in my own yard and have never had them before.
Grub worms can still be treated too and we are starting to see infestations and some damage. Grubs do some of their worst damage in the fall but as soils cool they move deeper into the soil, becoming harder to control. Treat now!
We are still several weeks from lawns starting into dormancy so continue to mow weekly and water regularly. See the tips above regarding fall pre-emergent and fertilizing. You may make applications at any time now.
Avoid trimming spring blooming plants like azaleas and spiraeas any more this year as you may be removing spring blooms. Also avoid high nitrogen fertilizers on spring bloomers, but you can still use balanced fertilizers and especially iron or acidifiers for chlorotic plants.
If we get into a wet spell, watch for lawn diseases like brown patch (later) or gray leaf spot (now), and powdery mildew, fungal leaf spot, and scale insects on shrubs. Treat as needed depending on severity so your lawn and plants go into winter healthy and happy.
Rye and Fescue Seeding
Time for our annual reminder about over-seeding your lawn with ryegrass. There are two types of rye seed available, annual and perennial. Annual rye seed is the one most commonly used but will need to be mowed every week in the spring. Perennial rye is more refined, with a darker green color and slower rate of growth, is more difficult to germinate. In our area the term perennial is not accurate. Most rye burns out by June. In shady areas or if we have prolonged cool, wet weather into the summer, ryegrass may persist longer.
The normal preparation for over seeding is to mow the lawn a few notches lower and remove the clippings during the last half of September through October. This allows the seed to make better contact with the ground and improves germination. The seed should be watered several times a week until it is up and growing. In about two weeks lightly touch up any thin areas. Once it is up, mowing will vary depending on the weather and type of seed used, but once every 2-3 weeks is usually the norm until about March. Light fertilizing in December will enhance the appearance. Pricing: Scalping, over-seeding, and touch up is based on square footage and will run around 8 times the cost of a normal mow. If your mowing is $35, your annual rye installation will be $280. Perennial rye would be $52.50 additional.
For larger or commercial properties call or email us to request a quote.
Fescue is a northern grass that struggles here in July and August, but there are transitional mixes now that are an option for heavily shaded yards where St Augustine just will not make it. If you have heavy shade and prefer a lawn there instead of groundcovers or a shade garden, then fescue may be a fit for you. Like rye, it will germinate now and establish during the winter and spring months. As mentioned, it thins out in our hottest months and does need regular watering, but simply reseed each fall to thicken it back up. Fescue does not need to be mowed as often as rye.
We have found an excellent way to install fescue is to aerate the area with a core aeration machine and then broadcast the seed. This is especially effective on slopes where seed may wash.
We only recommend fescue for shaded areas where you are having trouble growing St. Augustine. The pricing is based on square footage with a minimum of $250.
Upgrade Your Commercial Facility To A Hydrawise Smart Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller and Save $$$
Wi-Fi based sprinkler controllers have been making headway in the residential market for the past few years. The drawbacks have been dependability and a limited amount of zones that could be utilized, making them unsuitable for our typical commercial properties. Now there are finally some good choices for commercial and larger properties.
What is the Hydrawise Smart Wi-Fi controller? Hydrawise is a new line of controllers by Hunter, a long-time leader in commercial and residential irrigation products. Hunter is the preferred controller for a large segment of contractors, Licensed Irrigation designers, and Landscape Architects due to their dependability, ease of use, and functionality. Approximately 90% of our properties have Hunter controllers. The new Hydrawise controllers are connected to the internet through your Wi-Fi signal and allows you and your contractor/installer to monitor and program your sprinkler system from a home or office computer, laptop, tablet, or phone anywhere that you have internet access. Additionally, it is connected to local airport or independent weather stations giving it both real-time and predictive weather capabilities.
State law currently requires that controllers be equipped with rain and freeze sensors so that they do not run when temperatures are below 40 degrees or there has been a measurable amount of rain. This is of course to reduce water waste and prevent accidents and injuries due to ice forming if it drops below freezing when the sprinklers are going to run. Although this is helpful, using both real weather data from a nearby station and the forecasted temperature and rainfall add another layer of safety and water savings potential, and eliminates the inherent fallibility of sensors. Obviously weather forecasting is also fallible, but you can select a wide parameter of settings for predicted rainfall or temperatures to manage your application.
The controller will also let you set programs based on actual weather data rather than just a time based schedule. Using this function or setting good predictive settings can lower your water usage. And this weather based system provides the best security of not having a sprinkler run before freezing weather comes in, reducing your liability for ice related accidents.
A flow sensor device is another enhancement available for properties with up to a 2 inch mainline. This can be installed into the plumbing and will alert the controller and the users of a potential leak. On older systems that are prone to frequent breaks or valve failures this can pay for itself in just a season or two.
The Hydrawise is suitable for residential as well, capable of working with any system from 1 to 54 zones. For a quote on upgrading your system, email us or call and ask for Mike or John.
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