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Watering the Grass.

KARNUT

By KARNUT
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KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
Posted

Every year this time of the year we get or close to drought conditions. Every year I’m faced with watering or not. Every day while driving I notice the grass on road side seem to weather it through without extra water. Now my grass is turning brown. I’ve spent as much as 300$ watering even with a well plus community water. Is it really necessary? I’ve never been able to resist. It’s like I hear my grass begging me.😪

diyer2 Senior Enthusiast

diyer2

Posted
Posted

If you can get over the grass turning brown, save your money. It will come back with rain/water because the root structure is still there. Root structure is very hardy, grass fires in nature burn off the grass but the roots remain. Next rain green grass returns.

 

The lawn at our previous house, kentucky bluegrass would always come back from brown with water. Fertilizer and water works the best.

 

 

  • Like 1
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted (edited)

This is what the guy we hired this year says about watering. Yes, it will go dormant if not watered. BUT it cannot remain dormant for very long periods without damaging it or killing it. 3 to 4 weeks in the dormant state during hot weather is going to cause issues. Winter dormant is not the same as what happens during a drought.  

 

Grass holds its water and food in the leaf. The longer it is during drought conditions the better chance it has of surviving. More storage spaces. They suggest a measured with a ruler, not the setting on the mower, 3-1/2 to 4 inches MINIMUM during seasons like this.  It's why county ditches infrequently mowed look so good. 😉 Sharp blade naturally. Still do my own mowing. Water if you can. We are on a community well and pay a set rate, so the association is a bit finicky about watering half acre lots. If I don't get crazy, they don't fine me. I spot water then and use a soaker hose when the sun is up high and a rainbird on a steel fence post when not. Areas under good shade you may have noticed do better so I concentrate grass watering in the sunny areas and near cement and buildings where it suffers more. A good fertilizer and weed control routine is bit. Weeds have deep roots and like to steal water and as you know, they thrive in droughts.    

 

Our Arborist say use a soaker hose on trees in a circle just inside the drip line. Water for hours and hours at least once a week during drought conditions. A soaker hose takes a while to get down a few feet. I do 4 to 6 hours and rotate one tree every other day. A soaker hose uses little water even over long periods but the ground uses it all. Rainbirds and the like waste allot to evaporation. 

 

Late May to early July was awful. Since mid-July, we've got some nice rains about every two weeks. 

 

When it comes out of dormancy it may have brown streaks or spots. That is a fungus the left untreaded, will do major damage. Building up the soil, fertilizing, and fungus treatment. Spot treatment is fine. 

 

So, I have followed the advice of the guys I paid. I've got the best lawn I've had in decades and my neighbors have a mess to varying degrees.  Some of the larger yards that insist on a 2" cut have a brown carpet for a yard and tons of weeds. 

 

 

image.thumb.jpeg.41e193c5493aeccf8954ad4a8e83bea6.jpeg

Edited by Grumpy Bear
  • Like 2
diyer2 Senior Enthusiast

diyer2

Posted
Posted

Why did you ask about watering if you have all the answers.

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, diyer2 said:

Why did you ask about watering if you have all the answers.

 

I didn't ask. Stan did? 😉 Look UP^

  • Haha 1
KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1 hour ago, Grumpy Bear said:

This is what the guy we hired this year says about watering. Yes, it will go dormant if not watered. BUT it cannot remain dormant for very long periods without damaging it or killing it. 3 to 4 weeks in the dormant state during hot weather is going to cause issues. Winter dormant is not the same as what happens during a drought.  

 

Grass holds its water and food in the leaf. The longer it is during drought conditions the better chance it has of surviving. More storage spaces. They suggest a measured with a ruler, not the setting on the mower, 3-1/2 to 4 inches MINIMUM during seasons like this.  It's why county ditches infrequently mowed look so good. 😉 Sharp blade naturally. Still do my own mowing. Water if you can. We are on a community well and pay a set rate, so the association is a bit finicky about watering half acre lots. If I don't get crazy, they don't fine me. I spot water then and use a soaker hose when the sun is up high and a rainbird on a steel fence post when not. Areas under good shade you may have noticed do better so I concentrate grass watering in the sunny areas and near cement and buildings where it suffers more. A good fertilizer and weed control routine is bit. Weeds have deep roots and like to steal water and as you know, they thrive in droughts.    

 

Our Arborist say use a soaker hose on trees in a circle just inside the drip line. Water for hours and hours at least once a week during drought conditions. A soaker hose takes a while to get down a few feet. I do 4 to 6 hours and rotate one tree every other day. A soaker hose uses little water even over long periods but the ground uses it all. Rainbirds and the like waste allot to evaporation. 

 

Late May to early July was awful. Since mid-July, we've got some nice rains about every two weeks. 

 

When it comes out of dormancy it may have brown streaks or spots. That is a fungus the left untreaded, will do major damage. Building up the soil, fertilizing, and fungus treatment. Spot treatment is fine. 

 

So, I have followed the advice of the guys I paid. I've got the best lawn I've had in decades and my neighbors have a mess to varying degrees.  Some of the larger yards that insist on a 2" cut have a brown carpet for a yard and tons of weeds. 

 

 

image.thumb.jpeg.41e193c5493aeccf8954ad4a8e83bea6.jpeg

The one thing I do right. I mow at the highest setting.

  • Like 1
newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted

I'm in NY so obviously some difference in climate from Texas.  I bumped from 2.75" to 3" this year, no watering aside from the rain, no fertilizer either.  We used to and man, you had to cut it like every 3 days.   

 

So far no brown spots.  I think we are on the lower side for rain but not in drought conditions yet.  Its green but not "brochure green", some light brown/dry in some spots where there is little tree coverage.  I think the bump to 3" helped a bit (John Deere that has 1/4 inch increment height adjust), but we also have way too many trees so plenty of shade mixed in with sun.  It hasn't been growing like wild really so the last month and a half I've cut it every other week which I probably shouldn't do.  

 

The house to my right, they are new neighbors as of last year.  I can see the scalp marks lol, he must cut it at like 2" or under and will be out once or twice a week too.  Problem I have with them is he likes to mow more than his own yard quite frequently and its rather annoying.  He almost cut a 1/4 of our backyard a few times for God knows what reason.  Not sure why boundaries are hard for him to follow.  

  • Like 1
KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
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Posted
29 minutes ago, newdude said:

I'm in NY so obviously some difference in climate from Texas.  I bumped from 2.75" to 3" this year, no watering aside from the rain, no fertilizer either.  We used to and man, you had to cut it like every 3 days.   

 

So far no brown spots.  I think we are on the lower side for rain but not in drought conditions yet.  Its green but not "brochure green", some light brown/dry in some spots where there is little tree coverage.  I think the bump to 3" helped a bit (John Deere that has 1/4 inch increment height adjust), but we also have way too many trees so plenty of shade mixed in with sun.  It hasn't been growing like wild really so the last month and a half I've cut it every other week which I probably shouldn't do.  

 

The house to my right, they are new neighbors as of last year.  I can see the scalp marks lol, he must cut it at like 2" or under and will be out once or twice a week too.  Problem I have with them is he likes to mow more than his own yard quite frequently and its rather annoying.  He almost cut a 1/4 of our backyard a few times for God knows what reason.  Not sure why boundaries are hard for him to follow.  

In New Jersey I can’t remember ever watering. I’ve always mowed at the highest setting. I wouldn’t mow here again until it rains. We went from lots of rain then it just stopped. 

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, KARNUT said:

In New Jersey I can’t remember ever watering. I’ve always mowed at the highest setting. I wouldn’t mow here again until it rains. We went from lots of rain then it just stopped. 

 

 

Oh lol I saw your location and it says Montgomery Tx so I figured that's where you were haha.

KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
  • Author
Posted
11 minutes ago, newdude said:

 

 

Oh lol I saw your location and it says Montgomery Tx so I figured that's where you were haha.

I grew up in New Jersey. Been here in Montgomery TX for over 40 years.

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted

Use a ruler for grass height. The numbers on most mowers are not a measurement but a scale. 

 

8 hours ago, newdude said:

  Its green but not "brochure green",

 

Our lawn is not brochure green either, but it is much nicer than it has been in years. 

 

I learned two things first day with the service that proved out in just a few weeks. Retail fertilizers and mostly nitrogen and make it grow like crazy. Commerical fertilizer is more balanced. Retail weed killers are a fraction of the strength and less broad than commercial treatments. I sprayed for weeds 4 times last year and it got WORSE. The stuff he put down put them down. All of them. 

 

Something took a bit more time to learn. The balanced fertilizer, yea, it grew but not like every two-to-three-day kind of growth. And it contains some iron. That's what makes it green. When mowing near 4 inches and following the rule of cutting not more than a third from the length I found many of the grasses that make up my lawn are mature right at about four inches. So, I mow less than I did at 2-1/2 inches. 

 

Last item is common sense. A lawn not feed, starves. Eventually. Clippings, green clippings, take nitrogen out of the ground while in the composting mode. I'm fortunate to have a neighbor that want's all the clippings I can manage to bag. 

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, KARNUT said:

I grew up in New Jersey. Been here in Montgomery TX for over 40 years.

 

 

I literally can't read wtf lol.  

 

Quote

In New Jersey I can’t remember ever watering

 

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted

Japanese Beetles

 

Japanese beetle - Invasive Species Council of British Columbia

 

Nothing to do with watering. 

 

Japanese Beetles. What a pest and those traps are worthless. Bought one a few years ago. THOUSANDS of those pests swarmed us as we hung it. Lure? Yea, to everyone within a mile. Everyone around us was beetle free. :crackup:

 

Know what works and doesn't draw them in? Fat! We found this accidently. I cut some thick fat from an Iowa Pork Chop and diced into 1/2 squares. We put it in foil containers to feed birds. Next morning the herb garden was beetle free, Tins were full of them dead as doornails. Birds are picky. Suet is more their taste. But this stuff is lights out to the beetle. Who knew? 

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