I plan on watering around .5" every 2-3 days and treat the hot spots that pop up with some Tournament Ready Pellets with the Pellet Pro gun.

 

Started this exact plan already here in Fort Worth. Has been working well! I also started using Harrells Symphony G wetting agent, it held for 3.5 weeks, need to reapply this weekend. Has been a great wetting agent product that I’ve used compared to others. I use the TR for areas close to curbs and concrete edges that randomly pop up.

 

I thought once a week at 1 to 1.5 inches each time was better for root growth. I might water twice a week, but I let it soak in.

 

Yes, that would be optimal but in this heat you are better off splitting that up into 2-3 applications. You also might want to use a soil sampling probe to check how wet or dry your soil actually is and do a before and after to see if you are getting enough water into the root zone. If your soil can hold 1-1.5 inches of water for 7 days in this heat, more power to you.

 

I have a lot of clay, so runoff happens sooner than later for me.

No irrigation, so I will be up early moving sprinklers

 

I have getto PVC sprinkler stands that connect to 3/4 inch garden hose at the bottom and on the risers swap out Rainbird 5004 Plus and Hunter Pro heads depending on what area of the yard I am watering. I can drop enough water in 30 minutes to cause puddling, but it still soaks in. I have ran them up to 1 hour without much run off. But I tilled in compost before the sod was laid 20 years ago so I am not dealing with straight up clay even though most of the organic matter is probably gone.

90 psi water pressure at the hose bib and by the time it goes through 100ft of hose I still can run 4 x 15-30 psi heads at max flow/ distance.

 

Appreciate the feedback!

 

I’m testing out Penterra to make sure my irrigation gets into the soil and not running off. Not looking forward to my water bill…

 

I’ve been curious about this, I’d like to know how it works for you

 

Have any of you considered a well for irrigation. I put one in about 10 years ago. Back then it was about $3500 all in. Probably more than double that now. But I pretty much have unlimited irrigation water available to me now.

 

I did the math and I spend about $5 each watering session. Generally we get enough rain and I might just get some barrels to fill in. So maybe not worth it.

 

In Florida it makes sense, but not for me in the Piedmont. We would need a deep well > 100 ft to pull enough water. But I’m now curious if a shallower well would be ok for irrigation in my area…

 

I'm on a well for my house and use an irrigation pump as a helper to boost pressure. It would be nice to have a lake or stream close by to use as a source.

 

I have switched to watering my centipede every 2-3 days but I hope to pull back as soon as the heat breaks! Just started using TR and hope to see some improvements! Loving the water bill this sunmer!!

 

I just watered everything yesterday, about an hour in each spot, it soaked in well.

 

We laid new Zorro Zoysia sod and am watering at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ftom 20-40mins each zone.

 

Here near Atlanta we haven't had rain in almost a month, and it's been getting into the mid- to upper-90s the last week or two. Municipal rules only allow watering three days per week, and I have to manually move sprinklers to do it. We had company here this past weekend so my plan was to water enough to keep it fairly green. Now, however, I might just let nature take its course and let at least part of it go into dormancy. I hate seeing my lawn wither away like this given my expectations with my new reel mower, but it's just too hard when you don't get any rainfall for long stretches of time.

 

Hope y'all get some rain soon...us too! I'm sure the midwest would happily donate some of theirs (ugh)!

 

Does anyone have thoughts/experience with 'syringing' (short runs throughout the day to cool off the turf)?

Pros/Cons?

Thanks and stay cool!

 

Used to do to that everyday in the summer while working at a golf course. After mowing greens every morning, I’d then rotate through all 18 greens from about 11am to 4pm keeping an eye on them and hitting the hot spots as needed.

 

I use syringing and have had great results with it. Others no so much. I only do it on my Bermuda (the Empire doesn't need it) and run each zone for 5 minutes at 12:30PM every day. I just started doing it a couple of weeks ago this season. I usually keep it up until the second week in September most seasons. I'm currently seeing some LDS popping up in my normal problem areas so I may need to adjust my program.

 

I have done it a couple summer ago, basically hand water the lawn when I got home from work here in central NC also. My yard is shaped funny so sprinklers would either get the neighbors or the sidewalk/house. So I found it better to do it by hand to make sure I wasn't wasting water. when it's hot like this I tend to water more often since i have compacted clay just to make sure the grass is good because if I dont there are two spots that will brown fast. I bet there is something under it but I don't want to do a screwdriver test

 

I like the idea and might give that a go later in the afternoon. The water will surely be evaporated off of the leaves by nightfall.

 

I’m new to lawn care but won’t ‘syringing’ promote shallow roots?

 

I think there are different opinions on shallow roots. I try to water less times per week and longer for deeper soil penetration.

 

@LawnNewbie66 Yes, very little of the water from syringe session makes it to the soil. You're just cooling off the canopy. There have been studies that use infrared cameras that say it is completely useless but I have had very good results from just a quick spritz in the hottest part of the day. Your regularly scheduled irrigation cycles (based on your soil type) are what actually gets to the roots.

 

Syringing can also be very beneficial for cooling off areas that you have sand leveled. Here's a spot in my yard that got sand after digging out some rocks. It is about 20°F warmer than the rest of the canopy

 

Syringing can also be very beneficial for cooling off areas that you have sand leveled. Here's a spot in my yard that got sand after digging out some rocks. It is about 20°F warmer than the rest of the canopy

Strange as I have heard it is precisely the heat from sand that helps bermudagrass to fill in bare spots. This raises the whole question of when syringing might be a useful tool on this type of turf. My guess is it would only be useful in rare circumstances (e.g. extreme heat + stressed areas of turf) and not on a regular basis all across a lawn. After all, bermudagrass generally loves the heat and should be expected to handle being hit by lots of summertime sun.

 

I guess that is how evaporative coolers work. Water is run through a cardboard honeycomb type structure with air passing through it. Water should have the same effect on a lawn. I don't really think water will take a 100 degree ambient temperature on a lawn and drop it 20 degrees to 80 degrees for very long though.

 

I plan on using SuperSod when I level. They make a product that is 70/30 sand/screened compost.

 

I like their products..... but not at the price they want. I have get screened compost or top soil for $18-25 a yard. Those yellow bags are $200-$240 a bag so 5 or 10 yards of that stuff is like $1500-$2500... so if you can afford it.... sure... someone is making a lot of money selling dirt in yellow bags.

 

Straight sand is the way to go. Extra heat is good early in the year when you are trying to get bermuda to kick off. In the heat of the summer it's too much. I have several localized dry spots that I'm pretty sure are caused by too much organic matter. I have so much storm debris under my yard that I am constantly fighting OM. I will verticut or rake out the dead stolons and thatch and put sand down and the spot will recover quickly.

 

Straight sand for centipede as well? I’m pretty sandy in many spots already, living in the Sandhills area of North Carolina. I’ve read that sand is the best for leveling, masonry sand has been mentioned more than once.

 

@TigerKnight - Greens were Bentgrass, Fairways were Zoysia. Little did I know working there 25ish years ago that’d I’d be addicted to my own lawn now. 😁

 

Yes, by the truckload with a minimum of 6 yds for delivery. You can pick up smaller quantities if you go in person with a truck or trailer.

 

Be advised, be home when they deliver or they will dump it in the most inconvenient place ever. I got decomposed granite for some hard scape and I couldn’t get in my garage for a month 😂