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Watering New Wagner Sod Water sod lightly after each 200 square feet is installed to prevent wilting. After all the sod is down and rolled, turn your sprinklers on and let them run until the sod is good and soaked. To maintain this moisture level, do the following over the next few weeks: Week One: water every few hours, i.e. at 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., until runoff begins Week Two: water twice a day, i.e. at 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Week Three: water once a day, i.e. at 7:00 a.m. Gradually taper watering back to once every other day. Adjust
according to weather and season – water more frequently during warm/dry or windy weather. Watering Established Wagner Sod After your lawn has become established, water according to the following guidelines:
In addition, be sure to watch
for a blue-gray tint and limp areas of your lawn. This is not a fungus. It is caused by dehydration, and is an indication
that immediate water is needed. This will usually occur on tops of mounds, or areas where sprinkler coverage is not adequate.
(It is acceptable to water in full sun, it will not burn the blades.) Watering New & Established Wagner Sod with an Irrigation System After the installation of your new sod, you should water your sod twice a day for the first two weeks. Your watering times should be around 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The zones with large rotating heads should run for 25 minutes. Zones with small rotating heads should run for 20 minutes. Zones with fixed spray heads should run for 15 minutes. Once your sod has been in for two weeks, you should change your watering times to even or odd days, which depends on the last digit of your house number. Also, you only need to run your system once a day, either around 5:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. Your zone station times should remain the same. Troubleshooting
- ESTABLISHED LAWN (Older than 6 months) Brown lawn areas are most commonly caused by one
of three types of problems: improper watering, burn, or disease. Check for watering and burn problems first before treating
for disease. To check for lack of water, use a screwdriver or knife to probe the brown areas of your lawn as well as the
healthy green areas. If the brown areas are more difficult to penetrate, then a lack of water is likely. This is usually the
result of poor sprinkler spacing or sprinkler malfunction. Saturate the area with a hose as soon as possible and continue to provide
supplemental water until the sprinklers are repaired. Excess water can cause turf to die by suffocating the plant's roots or rotting its crown. This generally occurs in low spots or shady areas. Check for muddy soil, algae crusts, or slimy rotting grass. To correct problems in the shade, reduce irrigation time to that area or replace the sprinkler with lower volume heads. Low spots must either be raised or drained. Brown spots caused by a burn will be from pet urine (both male and female),
over fertilization, gasoline spills, etc. Burn spots are distinguished from other types of damage by their “total kill”
straw-yellow color. Dog urine burn spots that are over a week old will be surrounded by a dark green taller growing perimeter.
If a burned area is thoroughly flushed with water in the early stage of damage, some recovery may occur. You can also try
using gypsum and lime, which will even out the pH and acid levels. Spread the gypsum and lime like you would fertilizer over
your entire yard. Otherwise, reseeding or sodding will be necessary. Diseases are almost always related to heat and moisture.
The most susceptible months of the year are June, July, and August. High humidity creates an ideal disease environment. However,
poor irrigation practices can also promote disease development. The longer moisture stays in the turf foliage, the greater
the disease risk. Therefore, do not water at night (between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.) since the lawn will stay wet until
morning. It is best to irrigate between 6:00 am and 8:00 am. Weather permitting, do not water established sod everyday, unless
there is dry weather, sod feels crunchy, or sod looks dry. When brown spots first appear, observe them from one day to the next. If more
develop, you probably have an active fungus. During periods of high humidity, small six-inch diameter spots may multiply,
overlapping to become a large area. The grass may be collapsed to a point of lying matted, flat and rotting. This is symptomatic
of the fungus pythium. Reduce the frequency of watering so that the diseased areas will dry out. Also, make sure that when
water is reapplied it is between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Lightly rake up collapsed matted areas to air out and to prevent
recovering shoots from suffocating. Use a broad-spectrum fungicide such as Daconil or Fore as recommended by your nurseryman.
Always apply the fungicides according to label directions. Another option is to call a lawn care service.
Spraying will usually stop
the disease from spreading. Be patient with areas that have been damaged, often a high percentage of recovery will occur.
If re-seeding or sodding is required, wait until the cooler times of the year.
"BEAUTIFY WITH FAMILY TRADITION"
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