Yesterday, I received an email from our friends at the Irrigation Association reminding us that July is Smart Irrigation Month. What a great way to build awareness about watering wisely!

Living in the Southeast for most of my life, I am used to hearing about water shortages and watering restrictions – especially over the last few years where we’ve had major droughts. Here in Orlando, we’ve been getting tons of rain for the last month and our water supply has rebounded nicely (but my golf game is suffering!).

So what does this mean for watering lawns?

• Well for starters, you should adjust your irrigation schedule based on watering restrictions. Remember, just because it says you can water two days per week (in most areas), that doesn’t mean your landscape needs it.
• Install a rain sensor so that watering frequency is adjusted to account for rainfall.  Both too much and too little water can cause problems in your landscape.
• Check your sprinkler system often for proper coverage and to ensure all your sprinkler heads are working correctly (it will save you money and from having your neighbors mistake your landscape for the Geysers at Yosemite National Park).

To learn more about watering properly and Smart Irrigation Month, visit our Landscape FAQ section or check out the  resource page on the Irrigation Association Website.  And don’t forget to have your golf umbrellas handy over the next few months!

Did you know April is Water Conservation Month? With all the ways you can save money on your water bill by reducing the amount of water you use, it should be called “How to Reduce Your Water Bill” Month.

One of the most important ways to reduce the amount of water you use is by inspecting your irrigation system frequently to make sure you don’t have any broken sprinkler heads that are just gushing water. In addition to that, here are a few other tips that will help you conserve water this month:

1. Water at the right time. Most areas have watering restrictions that tell you what days and times you can water – find out what yours are by visiting your local water management district’s website or giving them a call.
2. Set your timers. Watering needs change with each season. Make sure your system is set to provide the right amount of water by season.
3. Give your lawn the right coverage. Your sprinklers should each be spraying all the way to the next one to get proper coverage. Also, make sure the water is actually landing on plants, grass and shrubs – not the pavement or sidewalk.
4. Use a rain sensor. The best way to find out if your lawn received the right amount of water from a recent rainfall is by using a rain gauge. Plus, be sure a rain sensor is installed with your irrigation system so it shuts off when rainfall occurs.

These are just a few tips we can offer you on how to conserve water this month. For more info, check out the St. Johns River Management District website.

Remember back in November when we changed from daylight savings time back to eastern standard time? Remember how the watering restrictions changed with the time? Well, it’s time again to change the clocks and you know what that means…yep! Time for watering restrictions to change!

First thing you need to find out is what water management district you are in. Click here to find out. Next, you need to answer this question – do you live in the St. John’s Water Management District? If you answered yes, your watering rules change Sunday with the time.

Fortunately, the only change they’ve made are the days you can water – previously you could only water one day per week, now we can water two! Check the schedule below to see what days you can water on:

• Houses ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) or that don’t have an address water on Wednesday & Saturday
• Houses ending in an even number (0,2,4,6,8) water on Thursday & Sunday

In case you have forgotten (I tend to forget), these rules still apply:

• Water no more than one hour per zone
• Water only when needed and not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This ensures water reaches the root zone and doesn’t evaporate before it’s had a chance to soak in

If you would like to visit the St. John’s Water Management District website, click here. And don’t forget – when you reset your clocks Sunday, reset those sprinklers too!

When I walked outside today I noticed something…my lawn and landscape are STILL yellow! You may have noticed something similar, too. If you’re anything like me, you may be wondering “Why does my lawn still look like this?” and “Will it come back to life?” Luckily, I can walk down the hallway and ask our resident Plant Doctor these questions. In case you don’t work down the hall from a Plant Doctor – here’s what he said:

Unfortunately – this questions don’t have just one answer. There are many types of ornamental plants, trees and grass that all have their own tolerances for heat, drought, temperature, moisture, etc. With respect to cold temperatures, they also have different reactions – some grass types go into a hibernation phase, called dormancy, and some just don’t deal well with cold weather and may end up dying.

With the return of warmer temperatures this week in most of Florida – and hopefully coming soon to our friends in Atlanta and Baton Rouge – lawns, trees and shrubs will begin to come out of their hibernation phase. Now is the time when it’s important to evaluate your landscape, determine what is growing back and what’s not, and then make plans to renovate your landscape.

So it looks like this St. Patrick’s day (one of my favorite holidays), finding a leprechaun may be easier than finding a green lawn – but be patient and keep an eye on your landscape!

You may have noticed that the temperatures in Florida have been dropping. Everyone is bundling up in their warmest light weight jackets and drinking hot cocoa to stay warm. A few layers and a hot beverage might be the answer to warming us up – but what about our lawns and plants? There are a few simple things you can do to help minimize the effects of the cold temperatures.

• First, enjoy the cold! Think about temperatures in May, June, July, August, September…I think you get the idea.
• Then, BEFORE freezing temps hit, run your sprinklers for 15 minutes per zone (rotor heads) or 5 minutes per zone (spray heads). Repeat this the following day  if temperatures warm up above freezing.
• Cover your cold-sensitive shrubs and ornamentals with old sheets or blankets (NOT PLASTIC!).
• If you see frost on your lawn – don’t mow or walk across it.

Just so you know, the weatherman IS predicting freezing temperatures tonight – so grab your ski cap, head outside and turn on those sprinklers!

I just received a flier at my house from the St Johns Water Management District notifying me my watering days were about to change an I wanted to be sure to pass the information along. The first step is to find out what water management district you are in, click here to find out.

Now, the next question is, do you live in the St Johns Water Management District? If the answer to that question is “yes” then there have been some important changes made to your watering restrictions. Just yesterday, Sunday, November 1st when daylight savings time changed back to Eastern Standard time something else changed too – watering restrictions for everyone in the St Johns Water Management District – including me.

Now, it seems like watering restrictions change as frequently as the season in Florida and they can be difficult to keep track of. What days can I water? How long? What time? I’m happy to tell you that the only change is to the DAY you can water.

• Houses ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) or that don’t have an address water on Saturday
• Houses ending in an even number (0,2,4,6,8) water on Sunday

This means these answers still apply:

• How long can I water? Water for no more than one hour per zone.
• What time can I water? Water only when needed and not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This ensures the water reaches the root zone and doesn’t evaporate before it’s had a chance to soak in.

After I got the notice I was worried. I JUST got my lawn to a beautiful green. My neighbors are even envious! Now I can only water ONE day? Great, my lawn is going to turn into a tumble weed jungle! After a quick call to my Massey GreenUP technician, my mind was at ease. He informed me that these new restrictions coincide with the watering recommendations that are provided during the cooler months and watering one day per week should not affect the health of my landscape. And since I’m a Massey GreenUP Irrigation customer, they’re already adjusting my timer to the new restrictions, I’m all set! Apparently your lawn is similar to a bear, it hibernates in the winter! And while it’s hibernating you need to keep feeding it and watering it, but only in small increments. Little did I know – watering your lawn too many times during the winter can cause your lawn to “catch” a disease. Yuck! Turns out, the new restrictions are good for our environment AND our lawns! Win, Win.

To visit the St Johns Water Management District website, click here. If you have any questions about how the new watering restrictions affect you, call 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739)

Having grown up in Florida my entire life , when school starts there are a few things I know I can count on.

1. The leaves are not changing.

2. College football is going to start… FINALLY!

3. The rain will roll in sometime after 1PM and sometime before 7PM

The first two have been always been somewhat comforting constants for as long as I can remember. But the rain is so very consistently inconsistent. As soon as you think you’ve eluded mother nature she shows up just in time for your alfresco dinner date and you’re left soaked with your umbrella marooned with stray french fries and the spare tire.

But, our cloudy old inconvenient friend does have some undeniably great side affects. We’ve managed to come out of the worst drought in history, people’s landscapes aren’t coughing up dust clouds, and a little afternoon rain can do wonders for our friends from Seattle and London’s bouts of homesickness. Now that’s southern hospitality.

Now if only the rain could help soothe these troubled economic waters. Well maybe it can. One of the unambiguous positives that our rainy afternoons bring is the diminished necessity of irrigation. They can’t give mother nature tickets for watering on the wrong days. So it’s a great time to get that old irrigation system checked to make sure it’s firing on all cylinders. Or to make sure it is not watering in the rain, on the street, or the neighbors cat. There are so many other things you could be wasting your money on… like a really sweet new umbrella!

Proper soil aeration is a critical element in producing a green and healthy lawn. And core aeration is one of the most environmentally beneficial things lawn care professionals can provide.

Core aeration is a non-chemical process that removes small plugs of turf and soil about the size of your thumb from the lawn. Removing these plugs allows oxygen, water and nutrients to reach the root zone. To put it simply, it allows your lawn to eat, drink and breathe. Oxygen is essential to healthy root growth because roots can’t absorb water or fertilizer without it.

And healthy roots help your lawn naturally withstand heat and drought, as well as pests, weeds and diseases. This means that you need fewer pesticides, less fertilizer and other products to supplement your lawn care. From an environmental standpoint, aeration also helps keep fertilizer from running off into our lakes, rivers and waterways.

If you would like to learn how you can have your lawn aerated, schedule a Free Inspection or call Massey’s GreenUP Landscape Services at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

A properly adjusted irrigation system is essential to a healthy, green landscape.

Check Irrigation Coverage and Timing

Sprinkler heads that are not properly adjusted are most likely wasting water, running up your bill and actually doing more harm than good.

• To achieve the best water coverage, make sure the water from each sprinkler head sprays all the way to the next one, in each direction. This is called “head-to-head coverage” and it applies to both rotor heads and spray heads.
• Position heads so water lands on the lawn and shrubs and not on paved areas.
• Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces evaporation and waste.
• Also, check your sprinkler heads every month to make sure your landscape stays healthy and green and to make sure that water isn’t wasted.

For expert help or to find out how our Irrigation Maintenance Program can maintain your irrigation system, schedule a Free Irrigation Inspection or call Massey’s GreenUP Landscape Services at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Proper mowing can mean the success or failure of your lawn.

Proper mowing practices, along with fertilization and irrigation, can largely determine the success or failure of a lawn. That’s because mowing correctly increases turf density, producing a tighter lawn. Correct cutting also promotes greater root depth. And, a dense lawn with deep roots yields numerous advantages. Count among them:

• 

  Mow your way to landscape success

  Greater tolerance to drought

• Ability to withstand insects
• A reduction in weeds
• Disease tolerance
• Less temperature stress
• Survival in poor soil conditions
• Endurance in periods of nutrient deficiencies
• Ability to tolerate foot traffic

To determine if you are mowing properly, check two factors: height and frequency. See the guide below for your lawn type.

For more tips like these from our professionals, or to find out how our GreenUP Landscape Service can make your lawn beautiful, schedule a Free Landscape Inspection or call Massey’s GreenUP Landscape Services at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).