Quote:
Originally Posted by Whatnext
4x40 mins is 160 minutes per week.
3x50 to 60 mins is 150 to 180 minutes a week.  |
I agree that too much water is an issue here. It’s not about the minutes per zone or number of watering days per week. It’s about how much water is hitting the soil from all sources ( rain & irrigation). Too much water will flush the nutrients out of your soil in short order.
The first thing to do is reduce your watering. This time of year your lawn needs 1” of rain per week from all sources. Preferably spread out over 2-3 days and not all at once. We can’t control the rain but we can control the irrigation. Do it.
You can buy a rain gauge pretty cheap and keep an eye on what you are getting in your area. You can also test your irrigation system to see what it’s putting down in a normal day of watering by using empty tuna cans or cat food cans placed in the yard in each zone. After watering is completed check the depth of water in the cans to know what is hitting your soil in a typical watering cycle. Adjust accordingly.
Much depends on the soil type and grass type of your property.
Once you’ve adjusted your watering schedule then get a soil test kit and test what your soil is lacking in nutrients. Then, and only then, get a fertilizer that addresses the needs of your soil. Don’t go by what others tell you to use or how long to water. Do your homework and get the answers from your specific issues.
I don’t live in the villages but I built a home 5 years ago in Lady Lake and the sod looked terrible and multicolored across the lawn. Much like yours. I did exactly what I’ve outlined above and it looks great today.
You can also consult with the University of Florida extension service. I have used a lot of their publications to guide me.
Good luck.