Lawn Care/Maintenance/Irrigation/Unique Situations
Newly
seeded areas should be watered lightly and frequently. Lightly means the soil
should be moistened to a depth of approximately 1 inch. Since seed and seedling
turf have a very shallow root system, there
is no need to irrigate to a greater depth. Water two to four times a day if
possible to prevent the soil surface from drying out. Once the seed has germinated
it is also very important that the seedling not be allowed to dry out.
As the seedling turf grows and the root system penetrates deeper in the soil,
the amount of water applied should be increased to moisten the soil to a greater
depth to encourage deeper rooting. The frequency of irrigation
should gradually be reduced from two or four times per day to once a day, to
twice a week.
New
sod should be lightly rolled immediately after transplanting to eliminate air
pockets between the soil and sod. This will help prevent the sod from drying
out. Newly transplanted sod should be watered once or twice a day to moisten
the sod layer and 1 inch of soil below the sod. This will encourage the roots
to grow from the sod into the soil below. As the sod begins to root in the soil
gradually wet the soil to a greater depth and reduce the frequency of watering.
Saturating the soil discourages rooting since turfgrass roots need oxygen to grow.
It can be very difficult to irrigate a slope or a bank since the water tends to runoff rather than soak in. Improving the density of the turf helps reduce runoff. Irrigate with a small amount of water and allow it to infiltrate, then waiting several hours to irrigate with another small amount of water. This cycle should be repeated as many times as necessary until the desired amount of water has been applied.
