By Kiersten Spindler

July is traditionally the month of peak demand for outdoor water use. Warm temperatures and little rainfall make it difficult to keep plants from entering drought stress.  In order to promote awareness about efficient water use, the Irrigation Association has designated July to be Smart Irrigation Month. 

The Smart Irrigation Month campaign focuses on simple practices and innovative technologies to make maintaining green spaces easy and convenient.  By doing so, consumers can save money on utility bills, while helping to protect community water supplies for today and the future.  Property owners and managers typically overwater, unintentionally wasting money every time they take out the hose or turn on the sprinklers.   During Smart Irrigation Month, consumers can take
practical steps toward saving water and money.

According to the EPA, nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day.  In addition, experts estimate that as much as 50 percent of water used for irrigation is wasted due to inefficient watering methods and systems.  

With water conservation in mind, there are a number of practices that can be implemented that focus solely on irrigation.   Something as simple as familiarizing yourself with the settings on your irrigation controller and adjusting your watering schedule regularly based on seasonal weather conditions can lead to savings.  Also, inspect your system for leaks each month and fix any as soon as possible.  A hole an eighth of an inch can waste up to 100,000 gallons of water each month.  Finally, consider investing in a smart controller so your system can make changes automatically.  This may include a rainfall sensor or soil moisture sensor that will detect precipitation and prevent irrigation systems from running.

Knowing your property is also important when working toward conserving water.  Determining your soil type can specify how quickly water can be absorbed without runoff, as watering more than soil can absorb causes waste.  Additionally, test soil for pH and nutrient availability. A well rounded fertility program will greatly enhance plant growth and can help reduce watering requirements.  Finally, watering plants and turf deeply but less frequently will encourage deep root growth and increase drought tolerance.

Another way to reduce watering needs is by applying a hygroscopic humectant product, such as Hydretain.  Products such as these attract water vapor from the air spaces within the soil, condense it back into a liquid form, and keep the liquid for the plant to absorb.  When applied and watered into the root zone, these hygroscopic humectants will allow plants to more effectively utilize any water they receive through rainfall and irrigation.  In fact, these products have been documented to reduce overall water use by as much as 50 percent, and can be used when seeding or sodding, with new plant installations, or as a regular maintenance program.

Smart Irrigation Month is a great opportunity to begin putting water conservation practices in to effect.  However, once July is over, carrying them into the future and turning them into a permanent routine will provide the greatest benefits.  To learn more about Smart Irrigation Month, visit their website at www.smartirrigation.org. 

By Jim Spindler

Throughout the country, there are government agencies limiting the use of certain nutrients in the maintenance of turf and grounds.  Both the bans on nitrogen in Florida and phosphorus in a number of other states can greatly affect the management strategies of managers.

There are a number of local governments in Florida that have established nitrogen "blackout" periods.  These governments have been convinced that summer applications of nitrogen contribute to the nitrogen in surface water that cause algae blooms and other negative environmental effects.  These blackout periods begin in the beginning of the summer, typically June 1st, and extend throughout the summer, usually ending by September 30th. 

These nitrogen blackout periods have become a challenge to those who maintain lawns and other turf areas, since it is when the turfgrass is growing most rapidly.  During this time, turf requires nutrients for healthy growth, and to maintain a thick ground cover that protects against erosion and leaching of elements into the ground water.  However, there are some strategies that will help a lawn survive these blackout periods.

The first strategy is to perform regular soil tests. Send a representative sample of the soil to the cooperative extension or commercial laboratory for analysis to determine what the soil requires to maintain a healthy stand of turf.  Also, adjusting soil pH and providing adequate nutrients will optimize turf performance.

The second strategy to enter the blackout period with an adequate application of a slow release nitrogen.  This will allow for the release of nitrogen over the blackout period.  Slow release nitrogen sources include methylene urea class of nitrogens that are found in the BioPro Greens Plus 14-4-10 and 12-0-12 products.  Methylene ureas are also found in granular forms.  Other slow release nitrogen sources include ureas coated with sulfur or polymers, organic fertilizers and other materials.

A third strategy is to mulch grass clippings and allow them to remain on the turf.  The literature commonly reports that grass clippings contain 4 percent nitrogen.  If the clippings are removed when the turf is cut, that nitrogen is removed from the system and is no longer available to the plant.  Returning the clippings to the soil will allow the plant to reuse the nitrogen as they decompose.  This will extend the period of time the nitrogen, applied through fertilizers, will remain available for plant use.  Some property owners are concerned that clippings will contribute to thatch, however, research has demonstrated that this is not the case.

The last strategy to maintain acceptable turf during the nitrogen blackout is to make regular applications of micronutrients, particularly iron and manganese, to maintain turf color.  The challenge is to find micronutrient products that do not contain nitrogen.  This is why BioPro has developed the Nutrisolve product that delivers a full complement of chelated micronutrients without nitrogen.

Phosphorus is another fertilizer nutrient that is banned in 11 states.  Just as with nitrogen in Florida, the concern is that phosphorus will enter into surface waters and contribute to algae blooms and eutrophication of water bodies.  The regulations in these states typically allow for the use of phosphorus containing fertilizers either when establishing a new turf area or when soil analysis indicates a need for phosphorus.

The states with phosphorus bans require turf managers to keep up to speed with the fertilizer products they use in order to identify fertilizers which have been formulated without phosphorus.  The BioPro line contains a number of fertilizers that meet this requirement.  There are two blends that have been particularly designed to maintain turf without phosphorus.  The first is the Greens Plus 12-0-12 with 70% slow release nitrogen that allows for long feeding of turf with fewer applications.  The second is the TurfPlex 20-0-3 with micronutrients and CytoGro biostimulant.  The TurfPlex products are foliar fertilizers designed to be used in a light frequent fertilizer program.

The key to fully complying with fertilizer bans and restrictions is to know the law and how is applies in each turf managers location.  Once a manager fully understands the regulations, they can work with their supplier to select the products designed to perform under their local conditions.  The fertilizer industry is responding to these changing laws so that turf managers can successfully maintain turf under all situations.

Jim Spindler is a Certified Professional Agronomist and a Certified Professional Soil Scientist.  Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Delaware Valley College, as well as a Master of Science degree in Forestry, with a specialization in Soil Science from Michigan Technological University.  With more than 30 years of experience both domestic and international, he has practical experience in the golf course, sports turf, and lawn care industries, in addition to extensive experience with a comprehensive range of agricultural products.  Jim also extends his services and knowledge voluntarily as the Agronomist and Research Director of the O.J. Noer Turf Research Foundation.