You should pay extra attention to your watering schedule during the humid times of the year because your grass does not lose the same amount of water to evaporation that it would on a dry arid day.  The humidity keeps moisture in the lawn longer, allowing you to space out your watering cycles.  If no adjustment is made in your watering schedule, you risk overwatering your lawn, leaving it susceptible to disease.

While it’s true that watering your lawn is more cost effective when there is less water loss due to evaporation or wind, and those conditions are usually present at night, watering at night has its drawbacks:

• You won’t be as likely to notice problems with your irrigation system such as water runoff, poor sprinkler coverage or water breaks
• Grass stays wet longer at night and is more likely to become infected with disease (some diseases can develop in as little as two hours when a film of water remains on the grass!)

So how to take advantage of the optimum conditions but avoid the potential pitfalls? Shut the water off 30 minutes before sundown to give the grass time to dry.

Determining the proper irrigation schedule for your lawn can be a confusing process. Water requirements vary based on grass species, time of year, geographic location, soil conditions, amount of shade, and overall maintenance of a lawn. So why not let your lawn tell you when it’s thirsty?

Look for the following signs and consider watering when you see at least one of them:

1. Folding leaf blades. Drought-stressed lawns will curl up their leaf blades lengthwise in an attempt to minimize leaf area. Wilting is best seen on the older leaves of the grass plant, as the younger leaves are not fully developed and may appear wilted even when they are not.
2. Blue-gray color. Drought-stressed lawns turn from green to bluish-gray.
3. Footprints remaining visible. When footprints or tire tracks remain visible on your lawn long after being made, your lawn is experiencing drought stress.

If your lawn is telling you it’s time to water, read our blog post on How to Water Your Lawn.

Expanding, irregular patches of dead or stunted grass surrounded by a halo of yellowing, dying grass often provide the first clue to the presence of chinch bugs. These islands of dying grass tend to increase in size and merge as insect numbers increase. Damage can develop rapidly, especially in sunny locations during hot, dry weather.

Chinch bug damage can be confused with certain lawn diseases. For instance brown patch is a common disease affecting the leaf blades of St. Augustinegrass. Brown patch symptoms, however, usually occur in a circular or semi-circular pattern, whereas chinch bug feeding results in irregular-shaped areas of dead and dying grass. Chinch bug damage also can be difficult to distinguish from damage caused by drought.

Reduce your exposure to chinch bugs with these best practices:

• Keep thatch to a minimum with proper mowing. If necessary, employ the use of a vertical mower or aeration techniques if excessive thatch becomes a problem.
• Don’t feed the bugs! Over fertilization not only creates a delectable dining table for chinch bugs, but it contributes to thatch formation.
• Water correctly. Chinch bugs prefer hot, dry environments. Too little watering produces this. On the other hand, over-watering creates an environment that cannot sustain the microbes needed to decompose thatch.
• Guard against stress caused by drought. Drought-stressed lawns are more susceptible to chinch bug infections.
• Choose a chinch bug resistant type of grass.
• Use chemical controls judiciously. Before resorting to chemical controls, be certain chinch bugs are the culprit. Inspect your lawn weekly looking for off-color areas, especially in direct sun, and along sidewalks and driveways. When chinch bugs are present in high enough numbers to cause grass to yellow, they can often be found by parting the grass at the edge of affected areas and examining the soil and base of the turf. Products containing diazinon, chlorpyrifos (Dursban®), or acephate (Orthene®) are suggested for homeowner applications. Where any of these products fail to provide control, apply a synthetic pyrethroid such as permethrin.

When is the best time to water your lawn and why? Early morning or early evening are the best times to water your lawn because there is generally less wind and heat. Wind and heat account for the evaporation of water into the air. By watering in the cool still of the early morning or early evening you get greater penetration into the soil and less run-off.

Tight blade growth also contributes to the depth of color found in Empire Zoysia. With its wide blades and luscious dark green hue that lasts through much of the winter, it’s truly a turf grass that will greatly enhanced curb appeal for your home.

It is one of the few grasses rated to perform well in all zones. As hardy as it is attractive, Empire has a deep, thick root structure, and is more drought tolerant than most varieties of Zoysia once established. In addition, slow growth plus natural chinch bug and chemical resistance means your lawn will require less maintenance, mowing, and watering than with other types of warm season grass.

How to get your Empire Zoysia lawn ready for spring? Follow these five steps:

Step 1 – MOW LOW!  For the first mowing of the year, scalp the lawn with the mower and bag the clippings.

Step 2 – Apply fertilizer at a recommended 1-0-1 ratio.  For example 15-0-15.

Step 3 – Apply pre-emergent herbicide to prevent summer weeds.  You can buy it already mixed in with fertilizer.

Step 4 – To prevent Billbugs and other insect pests, put down a broad spectrum insecticide containing bifenthrin.  Make sure to water any granular insecticides into the lawn.

Step 5 – Empire turf needs about 3/4 of an inch of water per week from either natural rainfall or in-ground irrigation.  Overwatering can lead to fungus outbreaks.  If needed, put down a systemic fungicide with an active ingredient.

Before you start implementing changes to correct lawn burn, you need to make sure that your dog is actually the culprit! Several lawn diseases will look like lawn burn, with the small, characteristic brown patches. First, make sure that the brown spots are in areas where your dog urinates. Most dogs will have an area in the yard that they choose to use as the ‘bathroom.’ Secondly, make sure that the grass in the brown spots is still firmly attached. Grab a handful and give it a steady pull. If the grass is firmly rooted, then it points to lawn burn. If the whole bunch of grass pulls up, roots and all, then you may be dealing with a grub problem. And thirdly, make sure that your dog is the problem. If your neighbor’s dog is coming into your yard and creating the problem it will not do any good to treat your own dog.

Lawn burn is caused by the nitrogen in dog urine. Because dog urine is very high in nitrogen, when the dog urinates, it is similar to pouring liquid fertilizer on the lawn. A little fertilizer is good for the grass, but an excess causes nitrogen burn. The prevention of lawn burn deals with trying to reduce the amount of nitrogen coming into contact with the grass.

There are several contributing factors that increase the likelihood of developing lawn burn.

• Female dogs are more likely to cause lawn burn than males because they void their entire bladder in one location instead of lifting their leg and marking, like males.
• Large dogs deposit more urine so they increase the quantity of nitrogen in one location, making lawn burn more likely.
• Those dogs, usually young active dogs, fed a high protein diet are more likely to produce a urine that causes lawn burn.
• Heavily fertilized yards are already receiving near maximum levels of nitrogen. The small amount of nitrogen in dog urine may be all that is needed to put these lawns over the edge and cause lawn burn.
• Lawns that are stressed are more susceptible to damage. Lawns that are suffering from drought, disease, or are newly sodded or seeded are more susceptible to lawn burn.

Successfully treating and preventing lawn burn often requires a multi-step approach.

1. Saturate the urinated spots with water. After the pet urinates, pour several cupfuls of water on the spot to dilute the urine.
2. Feed a high quality dog food that does not exceed the pet’s protein requirement. High quality foods have more digestible protein sources that are more completely utilized by the pet and create less nitrogenous waste in the urine.
3. Encouraging your dog to drink more, will help dilute the urine and decrease the risk of lawn burn. Small amounts of non-salted broth in the drinking water may help increase your dog’s water intake.
4. Train your dog to urinate in a location that is less visible. This approach is very effective for some owners that do not want to add supplements to their dogs’ diet.
5. Replant your yard with more urine-resistant grasses. The most resistant grasses tend to be perennial ryegrasses and fescues. The most sensitive tend to be Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda.
6. Reduce the stress on your lawn by not over- or under-fertilizing and by providing frequent watering.
7. If neighbors’ dogs are causing the problem, you may advise your neighbors of the leash laws. Using a fence or motion-activated sprinkler may be helpful in keeping these dogs off of your lawn.

Brown spots created by lawn burn are not a medical threat to your dog, however, they can be unsightly and potentially expensive to repair. By understanding the cause of these spots, and then making a few changes, you should be able to give your dog full range of the yard and still enjoy a trouble-free lawn.

Photo credit: (c) Hope Productions Unlimited, Inc.

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Also consider using plants that naturally repel insects. These plants have their own chemical defense systems, and when planted among flowers and vegetables, they help keep unwanted insects away. The table below contains a partial list of nature’s alternatives.

**This information was reproduced in its entirety from the website of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service at  http://www.nrcs.usda.gov.

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Mulch

• Protects the soil from erosion
• Reduces compaction from the impact of heavy rains
• Conserves moisture, reducing the need for frequent waterings
• Maintains a more even soil temperature
• Prevents weed growth
• Keeps fruits and vegetables clean
• Keeps feet clean, allowing access to garden even when damp
• Provides a “finished” look to the garden

Organic mulches also improve the condition of the soil. As these mulches slowly decompose, they provide organic matter which helps keep the soil loose. This improves root growth, increases the infiltration of water, and also improves the water-holding capacity of the soil. Organic matter is a source of plant nutrients and provides an ideal environment for earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms.

While inorganic mulches have their place in certain landscapes, they lack the soil improving properties of organic mulches. Inorganic mulches, because of their permanence, may be difficult to remove if you decide to change your garden plans at a later date. Therefore, this tip sheet is limited to the use of organic mulches.

Mulch Materials

You can find mulch materials in your own yard! Lawn clippings make excellent mulch. While not particularly attractive for a flower bed, they work wonderfully in the vegetable garden. The fine texture allows them to be spread easily even around small plants. However, grass clippings are becoming scarce because of the increased popularity of mulching lawnmowers that provide many of the same benefits of mulching to lawns. Newspaper, as a mulch, works especially well to control weeds. Leaves are another readily available material to use as mulch. Leaf mold, or the decomposed remains of leaves, gives the forest floor its absorbent spongy structure. Compost makes a wonderful mulch if you have a large supply. Compost not only improves the soil structure but provides an excellent source of plant nutrients.

Bark chips and composted bark mulch are available at garden centers. These make a neat finish to the garden bed and will eventually improve the condition of the soil. These may last for one to three years or more depending on the size of the chips or how well composed the bark mulch is. Smaller chips tend to be easier to spread, especially around small plants. Depending on where you live, numerous other materials make excellent mulches. Hay and straw work well in the vegetable garden, although they may harbor weed seeds. Seaweed mulch, ground corn cobs, and pine needles can also be used. Pine needles tend to increase the acidity of the soil so they work best around acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and blueberries.

When to Apply Mulch

Time of application depends on what you hope to achieve by mulching. Mulches, by providing an insulating barrier between the soil and the air, moderate the soil temperature. This means that a mulched soil in the summer will be cooler than an adjacent unmulched soil; while in the winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply. However, since mulch acts as an insulating layer, mulched soils tend to warm up more slowly in the spring and cool down more slowly in the fall than unmulched soils.

If you are using mulches in your vegetable garden or flower garden, it is best to apply them after the soil has warmed up in the spring. Cool, wet soils tend to slow seed germination and increase the decay of seeds and seedlings.

If adding additional layers of mulch to existing perennial beds, wait until the soil has warmed completely.

Mulches used to help moderate winter temperatures can be applied late in the fall after the ground has frozen but before the coldest temperatures arrive. Applying mulches before the ground has frozen may attract rodents looking for a warm over-wintering site. Delayed applications of mulch should prevent this problem as, hopefully, the creatures would already have found some other place to nest!

Mulches used to protect plants over winter should be loose material such as straw, hay, or pine boughs that will help insulate the plants without compacting under the weight of snow and ice. One of the benefits from winter applications of mulch is the reduction in the freezing and thawing of the soil in the late winter and early spring. These repeated cycles of freezing at night and then thawing in the warmth of the sun cause many small or shallow rooted plants to be heaved out of the soil. This leaves their root systems exposed and results in injury or death. Mulching helps prevent the rapid fluctuations in soil temperature and reduces the chances of heaving.

Applying Mulch

Begin by asking yourself the following questions:

• What do I hope to achieve by mulching? Weed control? Moisture retention? Soil improvement? Beautification?

• How large is the area to be mulched?

• How much mulch will I need to cover the area? Mulch is measured in cubic feet. As an example, if you have an area 10 feet by 10 feet and you wish to apply 3 inches of mulch, you would need 25 cubic feet.

Determine what mulch material to use and purchase or accumulate what you need. Mulch can often be purchased bagged or bulk from garden centers. Bulk may be cheaper if you need large volumes and have a way to haul it. Bagged mulch is often easier to handle, especially for smaller projects. Most bagged mulch comes in 3-cubic-feet bags.

• Compost — refer to the tip sheet on composting for information on how to make your own compost.

• Leaves

1. Collect leaves in the fall.
2. Chop with a lawnmower or shredder. Whole leaves tend to compact if wet or blow away if dry. Chopping will reduce the volume and facilitate composting.
3. Compost leaves over winter. Some studies have indicated that freshly chopped leaves may inhibit the growth of certain crops. Therefore, it may be advisable to compost the leaves over winter before spreading them.

• Grass clippings — spread them immediately to avoid heating and rotting.

• Newspaper

1. Save your own newspapers.
2. Only use newspaper text pages (black ink); color dyes may be harmful to soil microflora and fauna if composted and used.
3. Use 3 or 4 sheets together, anchored with grass clippings or other mulch material to prevent blowing away.

The amount of mulch to apply will be determined by the mulch material you are using.

General Guidelines

• Do not apply mulch directly in contact with plants. Leave an inch or so of space next to plants to help prevent diseases flourishing from excessive humidity.
• Remove weeds before spreading mulch.

Bark mulch and wood chips are sometimes used with landscape fabric or plastic. The fabric or plastic is laid on top of the soil and then covered with a layer of bark chips. A caution to this practice: while initially the plastic or fabric may provide additional protection against weeds, as the mulch breaks down, weeds will start to grow in the mulch itself. The barrier between the soil and the mulch also prevents any improvement in the soil condition and makes planting additional plants more difficult.

For Sources of Mulch

Check under mulches or garden centers or nurseries in the Yellow Pages. Your community may also have wood chips from the removal of street trees that are available free to residents.

**This information was reproduced in its entirety from the website of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov .