[MorTech]

A WiFi irrigation controller would be wise for snowbirds...Make sure your controller has a built-in default watering schedule in case of WiFi outage.

[djbabler]

I am at the end of a cul de sac up north end of The Villages with a large lawn 7000 square ft irregular shape. Water pressure is low in early morning hours and total watering time for all zones is 210 min. I am thinking about watering starting at 8 am but don't like watering in the daytime. There are times pressure is so low sprinklers will not pop up. Water dept says tough luck. Currently at 7:00 am 35 psi no sprinklers running. I need 40 to 50 psi for good coverage. Ideas?

[Will.S]

That is not an answer to this question.

Originally Posted by rsmurano

Why not just get a smart sprinkler controller and forget about it. If you don’t, you will be 1 of the thousands of homes watering your lawns while we are getting a downpour. Then, if you want the deluxe setup, I got my own PWS that my SMART sprinkler controller runs off of. I know exactly how much rain I have received, what the prediction of rail is and how much rain we are supposed to get, then the smarts of the controller will operate off all of those stats and run each zone for the appropriate number of days for a specific amount of time per zone.
With these smart devices, you can turn on restrictions so if it needs watering, you only water on these days, or you have no restrictions on which days to water on and it will run when it needs too. I click on the calendar for the coming month and I can see exactly when it’s going to water, and for how long of time per zone. It updates this calendar everyday because the weather is unpredictable. I’ve used these in my last 3 houses and have converted a dozen friends over to them

[Ptmcbriz]

Originally Posted by Altavia

From Deans.

We follow this. St Augustine requires a lot of water. Otherwise the blades start folding and within a week can die.

[darkim]

FYI … some homes have low pressure sprinklers. They require twice the amount of run time

[Rodneysblue]

Originally Posted by Will.S

I need some advice on watering my lawn of St Augustine grass.
Im setting my zone timer starting at 3am and set to 3 times per week. Is this enough
Is 15 minutes each zone enough water ?

Thanks. Will

Watering restrictions
The St. Johns River Water Management District’s watering restrictions are designed to ensure the efficient use of water for landscape irrigation. The restrictions allow enough water to maintain healthy landscapes year-round. The mandatory restrictions specify the time when watering may occur, the amount of water that may be applied, and the days when watering may occur for residential and nonresidential locations. These days depend on whether the address ends in an odd or even number, and on the time of year.
Time of year Homes with odd numbered
or no addresses Homes with even numbered addresses Nonresidential
properties
Daylight saving time Wednesday/Saturday Thursday/Sunday Tuesday/Friday
Eastern Standard Time Saturday Sunday Tuesday
Daylight saving time: Second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November
Eastern Standard Time: First Sunday in November until the second Sunday in March
An odd numbered address is one that ends in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9.
An even numbered address is one that ends in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.
Water only when needed and not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Water for no more than one hour per zone.
Restrictions apply to private wells and pumps, ground or surface water and water from public and private utilities.
Some exceptions apply.
Map of the St. Johns River Water Management District
Water restrictions map

[Pondboy]

Originally Posted by djbabler

I am at the end of a cul de sac up north end of The Villages with a large lawn 7000 square ft irregular shape. Water pressure is low in early morning hours and total watering time for all zones is 210 min. I am thinking about watering starting at 8 am but don't like watering in the daytime. There are times pressure is so low sprinklers will not pop up. Water dept says tough luck. Currently at 7:00 am 35 psi no sprinklers running. I need 40 to 50 psi for good coverage. Ideas?

Is there a time when water pressure is good… i.e 3 AM?

If no and Water Dept says they can’t help, then reducing the lawn size is probably your best/only option.

In that former lawn area, you could do “natural areas” that contain drought tolerant plants / grasses that are watered by a drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation would use far less water than a lawn system. The removal of a few heads or a zone will definitely help the system overall.

[Sabella]

Originally Posted by biggamefish1

There is no all-around perfect answer here to watering your grass and gardens. For now, we have been in a drought, just meaning mostly no rain, and besides that, our super low humidity and dry winds above 10t sucks all the moisture from what you are only providing with the generalized 2 or 3 days a week water that is normal for this time a year normally. Look around at all the yards that are wind-burned and dry today. Look at a weather app and water when the winds are low, and yes, water every day at that time. Divide your recommended watering times for the two or three days by seven and water every day at the right time. There is no set-it-and-forget-it setting for your irrigation timer; it is up to you, as the owner, to pay attention to our weather patterns. What is an extra $25 dollars a month to keep everything hydrated?

.
Thank you for mentioning the most important fact which means how much rain we are getting which would dictate how often you should be watering your lawn. I also find it amazing that most people don’t even bother to ever go out and put their irrigation system on to see if it’s working or if you have Certain ones that are broken or just to monitor that the system is working properly.

[MorTech]

The most important factor is hot dry windy air this time of year. Watering a little bit at dusk does wonders.

[lkagele]

Originally Posted by Will.S

I need some advice on watering my lawn of St Augustine grass.
Im setting my zone timer starting at 3am and set to 3 times per week. Is this enough
Is 15 minutes each zone enough water ?

Thanks. Will

15 Minutes might not be enough. Your lawn will tell you if it's not.

I used to water every three days but still had problems with it drying out. I cut the time by 1/3 and started watering every day. Lawn has never looked better. I actually save on water. If you're watering every three days, you're not going to shut your system off after a light rain. Watering every day, however, you can cut a day out after a light rain.

[patlerro]

Originally Posted by Will.S

I need some advice on watering my lawn of St Augustine grass.
Im setting my zone timer starting at 3am and set to 3 times per week. Is this enough
Is 15 minutes each zone enough water ?

Thanks. Will

Need to water about at least 30 minutes per cycle during this dry season

[Ozzello]

WOW.
No mention as to the type of soil or the type of sprinklers. From sand to heavy clay is out there, and require WAY different irrigation.

You likely have 2 types of sprinklers, both requiring different times (sometimes by quite a lot).

What you need to do right now during a drought and during normal rainfall is also very different.

Flat lawns and slopes are different.

I suggest Fertigator. They do a great job on fertilizer and pests and a great job tuning your irrigation as part of the service.