Watering is an important step in the lawn maintenance process.  An excess of water can promote fungal diseases that contribute to visible lawn damage.  Not enough water leads to dormancy, weakens plants, and possibly kills them.

Irrigation

Fertigation

Advantages of Fertigation

GreenerGreenGrass and Fertigation

Irrigation

At the beginning of summer, you have to decide whether or not to irrigate your lawn.  The primary advantage of regular irrigation during a high heat season is to maintain color.  Choosing not to irrigate will simply allow the lawn to go dormant and preserve precious resources.

If you make the decision to irrigate, it is important to water correctly.  When rainfall is insufficient and the soil is dry, apply one inch of water per week, or enough to wet the top 6-8 inches of soil.  Measure both rainfall and applied water with a rain gauge.  Check the soil with spade to see if the water has penetrated to the depth of the roots.  Early morning irrigation decreases water loss from evaporation as the temperature increases later in the day.  It is best to avoid late afternoon watering, which will extend the time leaves are wet and may contribute to disease problems.

If you decide to allow the lawn to go dormant, it is important to know that severe, prolonged drought conditions may require even dormant lawns to be irrigated in order to survive.  Apply one-half inch of water every 4-6 weeks to keep the crowns and roots alive.  (back to top)

Fertigation

The practice of fertigation allows you to apply liquid fertilizers, insect repellents, and various other lawn care products through an irrigation system.  The complexity of the irrigation system could range from a simple hose attachment or spray bottle, to a more complicated agricultural system.  There are also several solutions in between those two extremes for professionals and people with larger lawns.  You can purchase home fertigation systems that consist of a tank, pump, and distribution pipes or hoses, which can be connected to your existing sprinkler system or hose.  (back to top)

Advantages of Fertigation

Applying fertilizer and other lawn care products while you irrigate provides numerous benefits including:

• Increasing nutrient absorption by plants - more effective
• Reducing the amount of fertilizer required - more economic
• Reducing leaching into the water table - more environmentally friendly
• Reducing water usage - more sustainable
• Combining watering and fertilizing into one step - saves time

GreenerGreenGrass and Fertigation

All GreenerGreenGrass products are suitable for fertigation systems, so you can do two steps in one when you fertilize and irrigate at the same time!  You can purchase complete EZ FLO Fertigation Systems through the GreenerGreenGrass website.  We also offer a convenient Fertigation Starter Kit, which includes an EZ FLO Fertigation Tank, Green Sustaining Blend, and Soil Booster Blend.  (back to top)

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