9 Lawn Problems Your Inground Irrigation System Can Help Resolve

The May 2-4 has come and gone which means it's SUMMER in Burlington!! (don't let the weather forecast tell you different). Even though you've worked hard throughout the fall and spring to ensure your lawn is summer ready, you can't help but notice a few problems.

Lawn disease.

The problem with lawn disease is that it often hides under the soil out of sight out of mind, and by the time you see the effects of the problem, it's too late. Because the signs of lawn disease aren't always obvious and the term itself is quite vague, we've put together this helpful guide.

Lawn Fungus And Moss

When your lawn habitually receives too much moisture and then the temperature dips for a few days, spores and fungus of various sorts spring up. If you see any of these fungal lawn diseases, take action. Waiting to treat the problem will only allow the disease to spread.

There are a few kinds of fungus that can cause distinctive problems with your lawn, and just like the mold in your fridge, lawn fungus loves cool temperatures and lots of moisture (aka - too much water).Some of the major reasons behind fungal and moss problems include low or unbalanced pH values in the soil, improperly applied fertilizer, heavy shade, thick layers of thatch, overwatering, and compacted or wet soils.

Ring Patch

Ring Patch diseases have distinct ring patterns that look like large spots of dead grass on your lawn. The rings are caused by spores or fungus.

Fusarium Patch

This type of lawn disease is caused by a fungus that thrives in the early spring or late fall and can take on a number of different colours, usually starting out as small brown spots before turning white with a pink-coloured edge. Eventually, when the grass is completely dead, it will appear brown in colour once again.

In both cases, to get rid of these problems you'll have to dig down and remove the problem soil, apply fresh top soil, and reseed. An inground irrigation system can ensure the grass seed gets a healthy start at any point in the growing season.

Fresh grass seed needs consistent moisture for about two weeks to germinate successfully, so your inground irrigation system will come in handy.

Moss

Moss can be a major problem in Burlington(and many other places) especially during rainy seasons. Moss can overtake your lawn, damage plants, and create an unsightly mess on your patio, roof, trees and other areas. Having some moss is probably impossible to avoid, but too much moss causes havoc and just looks awful!

The hard way to get rid of moss is to stiffly rake your lawn to remove the moss and thatch (in effect exposing the bare soil to the sun). This is easier if the soil is already wet making the moss more easily removed. Add new grass seed in the exposed areas(without adding grass seed, the bare patches of soil will encourage weeds to move in). Perhaps a variety of seed better suited to a shady location should be considered.

The easy way is to apply a moss killer that contains ferrous sulphate and a fertilizer of some sort - a weed and feed strategy. As the moss dies, the grass is encouraged to grow in its place. Keep in mind that ferrous sulphate can easily stain any surface it comes in contact with, so keep it away from pavement and the house.

After applying the moss killer, you should wait for forty-eight hours and then water your lawn thoroughly with your inground irrigation system.

Leaf Spot

Leaf Spot usually starts as small purplish spots on the grass blades and then spreads to turn the entire blade of grass into a straw-like look and texture. This disease can appear when fertilizer has been applied but not properly diluted. The fertilizer sits on the grass blades and on top of the soil causing significant problems.

Using your inground irrigation system to apply fertilizer means it's always properly diluted and absorbed so this problem doesn't happen.

How to Fend Off Lawn Disease

The common lawn diseases mentioned above can all be prevented by practicing good lawn care maintenance. That's why it's important to properly mow, aerate and water your lawn.

Mowing

Properly mowing your lawn will give your grass the strength it needs to successfully resist disease. As a rule of thumb, it's usually best to keep your grass mowed to a height of 3". Shearing the crowns of the grass blades in order to mow less frequently leaves the grass susceptible to lawn disease and less tolerant of extreme weather. It's a wound the plant has to constantly heal instead of diverting that energy into growing healthy. Ensure you are cutting off no more than 1/3 of the blade each time you mow.

By keeping grass cut too short also means the grass plants struggle to stay hydrated and the sun on the exposed soil is an open invitation for weeds to move in.

Keep your grass long enough to shadow the soil so that nutrients and moisture are retained and used to develop healthy root systems and vibrant plants.

Aeration

When your soil is consistently wet, the lawn can become susceptible to disease. Sometimes this is caused by soil compaction. Foot traffic is one main cause of compaction, time and weather can create soil compaction, and the composition of your soil can leave it more susceptible to compaction. The solution then is to aerate your lawn. Aeration will help loosen the soil and allow necessary nutrients to get to plant roots and create room to "breathe" so that plant roots don't drown in the excessive moisture.

Irrigation

Giving your lawn the right amount of water can be difficult guess work if you are manually watering your lawn with a surface sprinkler or a garden hose.

Installing an inground sprinkler system can help take the guess work out of properly watering your lawn and optimize water efficiency. Instead of trying to figure out when to water your lawn and how much water you should be using, let the programmable settings and weather sensor technology tackle that equation for you.

Warning Signs You're Overwatering

Insects and weeds thrive in conditions that cause our lawns and gardens to struggle. This ability to survive and thrive in extreme weather conditions would be pretty cool if they would go survive and thrive somewhere other than your lawn! Water is definitely one of those things where too much of a good thing can be devastating.

A lawn that receives consistent deep watering (once a week or once every two weeks) all summer is better able to resist weeds and insects, and an inground irrigation system with moisture sensors is the most efficient way to deliver water. The sensors detect how much natural rainfall is present in the soil and that information influences the system's programming to deliver water accordingly.

Drowning

It's possible for plant roots to drown when too much water is present. There are numerous air pockets in the soil and when it rains those air pockets fill with water. If the water never drains or evaporates, the plant roots suffer from a lack of oxygen.

Weak Roots

Plants that are watered too often grow shallow roots so the plant never stretches its roots out deeper to find the moisture lower down. These shallow root systems can't withstand wind, rain, disease, or drought very well.

Weeds

When the grass gets stressed is when weeds take advantage and move in. Some weeds thrive in conditions that are hot and dry, others are able to produce the nutrients your lawn is dying to have on their own giving them an advantage, while others prefer always moist conditions. Crabgrass and clover are two weeds that thrive when your lawn is weakened. Lawns that are consistently, year after year, watered too much will struggle with weed proliferation.

Lost Nutrients

When too much water is applied, the nutrients naturally present in the soil wash away. The nutrients are pushed past the roots too quickly to be absorbed and your lawn will lose colour. When this happens, the obvious response is to apply fertilizer. This vicious cycle continues on and on adding unnecessary expense.

The experts at Nutri-Lawn Burlington Irrigation can help you take the guess work out of commercial and residential irrigation and offer the major brands with professional expertise. Contact us today for your complimentary quote.