As the cooler weather becomes more commonplace, grass and plants require less water than during Florida’s spring and summer months.
Water loss due to transpiration and evaporation decreases as does the growth of the typical Florida landscape.
So, what does this mean for you as you continue to want to keep a beautiful lush Florida lawn?
Simple. Practice wise water use.
Consider skipping a week during the winter months in Florida to save water.
Don’t water inefficiently as this will matter when the spring weather begins. Overwatering stresses your lawn.
Some of the more popular grasses in a Florida landscape are: Bahia (the only drought tolerant grass designated by landscaping experts University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – UF/IFAS), St. Augustine, Zoysia and Bermuda.
These grasses go dormant as temperatures decrease.
Temperatures averaging 82 degrees or less keep these grasses in their dormant stage. Your grass may still remain green during this time.
A typical Florida grass needs approximately 1-inch of water per week to keep it healthy.
Adjust the irrigation system to water one day a week. This will continue to keep the roots healthy receiving the needed nutrients for a nice return in the spring.
Or, consider skipping a week altogether during the wintry weather based on the needs of your lawn.
Now is also a great time to examine an irrigation system to make sure there are no broken heads, emitters spraying sidewalks, driveways or your neighbor’s yard or, possibly, finding out that there is a hidden program on the controller that is costing extra money and wasting water.
When spring temperatures return, make it a point to go back to your system and adjust the sprinklers, check for leaks, and make sure your programming is set for the change of weather.
It will definitely be warmer and chances are you will need to go back to the twice-a-week schedule.
Remember, those days are determined by the ending numeral of a house number.
In general, odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) irrigate on Saturdays and Wednesdays and even numbers (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) on Thursdays and Sundays. There is no watering 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. any days.
For exceptions or any questions, please go to the “Watering Days and Times” section of our website, tohowater.com.
Need help?
The Water Conservation Team at Toho Water Authority can assist and advise on your irrigation needs. Upon request, we conduct free irrigation evaluations for customers in our service area. Interested? Contact Toho at waterconservation@tohowater.com or 407-944-5121.
