Surviving the Drought
Specializing in safe, affordable Household Pest Prevention. Our Lawn & Plant Health Care services are a real alternative to "lawn spray" services. Our horticultural services are customized to suit the property. We inspect before any treating is done to determine the need. We care for St. Augustine grass, palms, azaleas, oaks and nearly every other plant you might find in the central Florida landscape. We also make recommendations for proper pruning, mowing and watering. Pest Prevention for homes and businesses is designed to stop pests before they enter the building. These pests includes ants, roaches, spiders and wasps. Stopping these pests before they make it inside is the safest and most efficient way to perform this type of service.
Surviving the Drought
Drought conditions seem to occur more and more frequently in Central Florida. Watering restrictions have become commonplace throughout the state and are sure to remain. We must use water efficiently if we are to preserve our valuable landscapes.
The fact is that periodic drought is a normal part of Florida's climate and always has been. Periods of drought will occur multiple times every year! The length of these dry spells will vary from period to period and from year to year. It is difficult to predict when the next drought will occur. Dry spells occur in any season of the year.
Drought causes the most damage when the weather is hot, which it is usually in all seasons except winter. We even have weekly dry spells. Our customers often exclaim that they couldn't have dry grass on Friday when it rained bucketfuls on Tuesday! That's Florida for you.
The turfgrass and landscape plants that are commonly planted in central Florida are generally not drought tolerant enough. St. Augustine grass certainly won't withstand drought, as many of us have learned. We must have proper irrigation if we are going to enjoy the lush landscapes we value so much. The desire to have landscapes that are so water intensive is a subject of debate. That is not the subject of this discussion. We simply recommend not growing plants that require excessive amounts of water.
A finely tuned irrigation system is critical in every season. It is especially important during times of mandated watering restrictions. If we are allowed to water only twice per week then the sprinklers must thoroughly cover their designated areas. Testing each sprinkler zone to ensure full coverage has to be done regularly. Peering out of the window to observe the sprinklers running does not ensure adequate coverage. We recommend investing in regular irrigation check ups from a professional if you are not able to do this yourself.
Each sprinkler zone must produce 3/4 to 1 inch of water each time it runs. Any part of an area that does not receive this much water will suffer from symptoms of drought. This is when dry "spots" develop in the lawn even though the sprinklers have run the proper amount of time.
Many plants survive periods of drought better than the grass will. However, plants will wilt, undergo stress, perform poorly, and even die without adequate water. We often see turf and plants suffering from fungus diseases in dry conditions because of drought stress. A light sprinkling of water resting on the foliage but not reaching the roots can create conditions for disease.
Even with an excellent running sprinkler system there are times when it just isn't enough. Watering only two days per week in the summertime may not produce the best landscape in all areas of the lawn. However, most of these affected areas will recover once adequate rainfall resumes.
The days of setting the sprinkler controller on automatic and forgetting about it are over. Let's make sure we are watering the lawn and not the driveway. Have the irrigation system maintained so it is always operating at its peak. If we maintain our irrigation systems properly we can continue to have attractive landscapes despite watering restrictions.
