February
Complete Solutions
Rainy season here in North Texas means keeping up with all the tracking in and out, kids-dogs-muddy cars, and constant cleaning. Annoying as it can be, Texas needs this moisture because, before you know it, drought restrictions will be back in place and our irrigation costs will be through the roof again!
What to do with standing or pooling areas on your lawn?
Sometimes a sand-based soil blend will work to eliminate low spots and address an inefficient drainage system. fill in the low area a couple of inches at a time to eliminate low spots (but not kill the grass). If you’re unsure what the best solution is, it never hurts to consult a professional. But taking action as soon as you notice a problem will definitely help eliminate potential problems moving forward, such as dead grass, mold, fungus, mosquito breeding, etc.
Take a drive around the neighborhood during a rain event early in the morning. You’re almost guaranteed to see someone’s sprinkler system cycling through. Yeah, don’t be that guy…
Even if you have a rain/freeze sensor make sure you’re keeping track of the forecast and adjusting the sprinkler per weather conditions whenever possible. The soil in Denton County is a mixture of silt and clay, so the ground can only absorb so much moisture until it starts to pool. Irrigation settings should be at minimum if not in the off positions during the rain season because the ground can only absorb so much moisture, so be conscious of your water, ensuring you are keeping runoff to a minimum. It’s Texas, and water conservation is a huge issue. It’s not uncommon to be able to cut your “on days” down to a 1-day rotation weekly or to turn it off all together. It’s a good idea at least once a month to turn the system on TEST Mode and run through the zones ensuring your heads are providing adequate coverage and the system as a whole is operating efficiently (especially if it’s been winterized the last couple of months). A lot of our runoff occurs from broken pipes, drip lines, and heads that we just don’t notice because our systems are going off early in the morning and they are not checked on a regular basis.
