Three Vital Components to a Healthy Lawn

Think about the importance of each leg on a three-legged stool. I use this comparison to explain the three components to creating a healthy landscape: organic fertilization, cultural practices, and irrigation. They are all equally critical to the success of our landscapes.

Fertilization: The Soils Alive Soil-building Program provides essential organic fertilization.

Cultural Practices (mowing, pruning, and trimming): Mow St. Augustine grass at 3.5 inches and Bermuda at 1-2 inches every 5-7 days.

Irrigation (watering): During Texas summers, water is the most difficult component to get right. Watering too much in the spring brings fungal diseases and excess weed growth. It also wastes money on water, but then the hot, dry conditions of the early summer catch many homeowners by surprise. Adjustments are necessary on a weekly basis as we transition from spring to summer. Unfortunately, many of us do not bother with such adjustments. Over-watering or under-watering causes our lawns and bedding plants to suffer. Insects become a major problem on drought-stressed plants (in particular, chinch bugs in St. Augustine are brought on by dry conditions). Setting the controller in the fall and winter months is just as critical as in the summer; if you do not reduce the amount of water your lawn receives, you will create a terrible brown patch problem in St. Augustine lawns that will remain until the following spring. There is no treatment that can slow brown patch if the lawn is being over-watered. Watering should be done only when the landscape needs it.

How can we program our systems to know when plants need water? The only way to effectively do this is manually. Most of us are not up to this challenge. However, SmartLine Controllers by Weathermatic use an onsite weather station to take more than 1,000 readings a day to calculate the amount of water that will be applied. This technology has been used for years on golf courses and large applications, but now it is available to the homeowner. Soils Alive is excited to offer an incredible deal. To take advantage of this offer, call us today to save time, water, money, and the hassle.

Soils Alive will upgrade your old controller to a SmartLine Controller for free if you sign up for our Irrigation Management Program. Details can be found at http://www.soilsalive.com/irrigationmanagement.

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