Follow the on and off watering tips here in our information. Remember that your soil will only absorb a limited amount of water at a time. On and off watering at least 3 times on your watering day will promote deep roots and a healthier lawn.
As summer temperatures increase, raise the mowing height to 2 to 3 inches.
Fertilize every 4 to 8 weeks but cut back 25% to 50% of the recommended rate.
If dry spots appear check your sprinkler coverage. Water these dry spots by hand -- please do not increase your irrigation timing to compensate for a few dry spots!
Be sure and keep your mower blade(s) sharp -- a dull blade will injure the grass and encourage disease.
Spring Turf Tips
Mow your lawn as low as possible. This will remove old, dead winter kill and thatch. This allows sunlight to get to the soil and warm it up -- this is key to early green up. Then fertilize with a 16-6-8 fertilizer and your lawn will be on it's way.
Winter Turf Tips
Putting your sod to bed: after your last regular mowing, fertilize with a 6-20-20; water appropriately, then winterize your sprinkler system. Keep in mind you may have to hand water your lawn if the weather warms up, which is typical with our Utah weather.
General tips
For your new Utah lawn: check with your landscape professional to make sure the system is set for 3 to 4 times a day 10 to 15 minutes each cycle for the first 2 weeks. At the end of 2 weeks, continue the same watering pattern but cut back to every other day for 2 weeks, then cut back to every third day. If water runs off, cut back on the number of minutes. New sod is exempt from watering regulations for 6 weeks. After the first 6 weeks, follow the watering schedule below:
March, April, September and October: Water as needed to keep root area moist. On those days water 3 times, 5 to 10 minutes at 2 hour intervals.
May through August: Water on the days and hours according to local ordinances Water 3 to 4 times on these days starting early morning. Water for 5 to 10 minutes each time at 2 hour intervals.
November through February: Usually no irrigation is needed unless weather is extremely dry for 2 to 3 weeks at a time.
Every lawn is different and you may have to modify the above to meet your individual needs. The key thing to remember is to keep the root area moist during the crucial rooting period.
Mow as needed, maintaining a mowing height of 2 to 3 inches. Remove no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade per mowing.
Fertilize every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season. We recommend a granular, well-balanced fertilizer without weed control. The best way to find out how often your lawn needs to be fed is to mark your calendar when you make a fertilizer application. When you notice the color begin to fade, you will know you should have fertilized a week earlier. Check your calendar and this will give you the interval for fertilization.
Brown spots: Most lawns will get brown spots from time to time. Check your sprinklers for coverage. Windy days and high temperatures will result in varying patterns. Water these trouble spots by hand. Do not increase the water to the entire area to eliminate isolated brown areas.
Runoff: A lawn is one of natures best filters for airborne pollutants, applied fertilizers and chemicals. Runoff from any landscape area, though, can pollute our waterways and create treatment plant problems.
Contrary to what some may want you to believe, lawns do not waste water, man does. Lawns are of increasing importance to our urban environment since we are removing vast amounts of natural vegetation and agricultural land from the ecosystem, replacing them with asphalt concrete and buildings. Scientific studies have found that many of the shrubs and trees we use in our landscapes may, in fact, consume more water than a lawn of equal area. The point is not so much what to plant or use in your landscape to achieve your desired effect, but to efficiently manage the irrigation and maintenance of your landscape.
Utah sod is like people: it needs air, food and water to survive. When you properly maintain your lawn with good water management, proper fertilization and mowing schedules, you will have a healthy beautiful lawn for many years.
Call Evan Ault from Rocky Mountain Turf Farm at 801-404-9053 to get a free quote.
We are a locally owned sod farm located in southern Utah County. We supply local homeowners and landscapers with top quality sod. Look around our site at <a href="http://www.rockymountainturffarm.com" title="Utah Sod Grass Farm">RockyMountainTurfFarm.com</a> and when you are ready for sod give us a call at 801-404-9053 and we will give you outstanding service while saving you money. Rocky Mountain Turf Farm guarantees all of it to be disease free, weed free, alive and growing. All you do is roll the sod out for a picture perfect lawn.
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