FAQ's on Drought & Watering Bans
We continue to face new challenges due to the drought and ensuing water restrictions. These events have made it necessary to modify water usage by homeowners, growers, nurseries and many other commercial businesses. Given the uncertainty of the availability of water and when the drought will come to an end, there are a number of questions as to the benefits of using lawn care products, aeration and seeding, and the installation of landscape plants. Listed below are some frequently asked questions.
1. Am I permitted to water in my lawn applications?
Most municipalities will allow you to water your lawn the day of Or after a professionally applied treatment between the hours of midnight and ten AM. Be sure to retain your invoice as proof of treatment. Some cities and counties may not allow this so be sure to check with your local water authority, it is a good idea to retain the invoice should the local utilities question you.
2. What if I cannot water in an application?
We never use any products that must be watered in to be safe. If you cannot water in a treatment that application will either be fine on its own (as with the liquid applications) or will sit quietly on your lawn until water, through dew, rain or irrigation, becomes available.
3. While we are in drought conditions should we still be treating the lawn?
Remember that just because a lawn is thirsty doesn't mean it is not hungry! During times of drought stress we adjust our program and products to safely keep your lawn as healthy as possible. Lawns not treated will fare badly, not having the nutrients to survive. Without regular weed control weeds and crabgrass, which can survive droughts better than grass, wili proliferate and rob your turf of water and nutrients.
4. Without water, will my lawn burn from using fertilizers during the hot summer months?
We use a dry, sulphur-coated fertilizer, which breaks down over a period of time, and will not burn your lawn. When these fertilizers come into contact with water, the process of releasing these products into your lawn begins. Fescue lawns receive iron, which is an alternative to nitrogen-based fertilizers, and will keep this grass from burning.
5. I did not aerate and seed my fescue lawn this fall because of the drought. Should I do that in spring?
King GREEN strongly discourages spring aeration and seeding of fescue. While it will germinate, the new grass will not have sufficient time to develop a root system that can survive the summer heat so most, if not all, of the new grass will die off when the temperatures rise. Additionally, we will not be able to apply pre-emergent weed controls in the early spring, as it will not allow the fescue to germinate.
6. My fescue lawn was aerated and seeded but the recovery has been slow. Will my lawn fill in?
This is a fairly common question even during years of adequate rainfall. With consistent fertilization during the cooler months (fescue is a "cool season" grass); you should see a surge in growth as the temperatures begin to rise. This highlights the importance of aeration and seeding your lawn each fail. While the past year was not optimal for plants and turf, all things grow better with care. By working together, we at King GREEN can help your landscape do its best in any situation.
When you call water suppliers, you can sometimes get wrong or conflicting information. I suggest that you check your local water supplier’s website frequently for changes to exemptions. If you don’t have the e-mail address, you can link through the following websites: