Professional Documents
Culture Documents
root zone will be wetted. Once the soil has been wet throughout the root zone or after contact with subsoil moisture has occurred, any additional water applied will merely fill the large pores and be excess. Removal of excess water from soils is referred to as drainage. Unless soil are adequately drained, many problems arise because of the slow removal of excess water. Frequency of irrigation The frequency of irrigation depends on the type of grass, the soils physical properties, and the climatic condition especially rainfall, humidity, temperature, and wind movement. It is often said that many turfgrass problems may be attributed to improper watering. Perhaps one of the most important factors contributing to improper watering is frequent irrigation watering too often. In general, it is an excellent idea to let the condition of the grass determine when to apply moisture. On most general turfgrass areas the time to apply moisture is just as the plants begin to wilt. As a matter of fact, with one possible exception, this could become a rule of thumb for watering turfgrass. The exception is on newly seeded areas which must be kept moist during the period the seed is germinating and seedlings are becoming established. Frequent, shallow watering tends to keep the upper layers of soil near a point of saturation most of the time. This encourages shallow rooting and promotes weak turf which is susceptible to disease and insect attack as well as damage from traffic. The practice of watering deeply only when plants show signs of wilting is for most turfgrass areas a practical approach to a sound watering program and it is a big step forward in the development of healthy, vigorous turfgrass. Far too many of our turf areas are watered too frequently and for too short a time. Irrigation Equipment It is important that the sprinkler used delivers a uniform amount of water over the area covered by the sprinkler throw. Many commercially available home lawn sprinklers do not give uniform coverage. You can check your sprinkler output by placing a row of one pound coffee cans (or any cans of equal size) in a line at one to two foot intervals from the sprinkler to the point of furtherest throw. By allowing the sprinkler to run for a known time ( to 1 hour) the amount of water in each container can be measured and these results plotted on graph paper to show the distribution pattern and application rate of that particular sprinkler. Normally this procedure should be used at a time other than during periods of peak community water use, as water pressure may be lower than normal during these periods. Poor water distribution can also be due to human error. Often a stationary sprinkler is allowed to remain on one area of the lawn longer than on another. This can be overcome by using a traveling sprinkler that moves over the area at a uniform pace. In summary, watering practices should provide for the proper distribution of water, permit good water infiltration, and assure sufficient water retention to support plant
growth without irrigation for a reasonable time. Above all, good watering practices should provide for the removal of excess water. Finally, a sound watering program should utilize only as much water as is needed by the turfgrass plants to produce healthy, vigorous wear-resistant turf.