Sprinkler & Lawn Maintenance
- Rake lawn & landscape.
- Apply per-emergent in mid to late April.
- Begin to uncover roses, perennials, & strawberries.
- Start planting perennials, trees, & shrubs.
- Mow lawn at 2″ remove clippings (bag).
- Call for sprinkler pressurization & system check up.
- Apply post-emergent to lawn.
- Begin to plant annuals.
- Start fungicide on roses.
- Apply Merit or Dyloz for grub control.
- Fescue: Raise mower up to 3″. Mowing at least once a week.
- Bluegrass: Continue to now at 2″ never removing more than one third the growth at any one mowing.
- Move from a twice a week watering schedule to a three times a week program.
- Pinch back mums & annuals
- Apply fungicides (last week of June, 1st week of July)
- Fescue: Raise mowing height to 3.5″ and maintain mowing frequency.
- Bluegrass: Raise mowing height to 2.5″ and continue mowing at least once a week.
- Inspect irrigation system and call if any damage is found. (Damaged heads and leaky valves cause the greatest amount of water waste at your expense.)
- Do not apply nitrogen to lawn at this time.
- Inspect for grub damage.
- Increase landscape watering if rainfall is low.
- Add a fourth day to lawn watering cycle (applying .66 in two .33 cycles).
- Fescue: Leave mowing height at 3.5″
- Bluegrass: Leave mowing height at 2.5″
- Apply insect control to roses, flowers, & garden.
- Divide iris, peonies, & fall bulbs.
- Contine to water every other day (i.e. Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun.)
- Leave mowing heights for both Fescue & Bluegrass.
- Apply Lawn Food.
- Time to over seed on existing lawn & start seed on new lawns.
- Spray any dandelions missed by pre-emergent with 2, 4-D.
- Fescue: Gradually lower mowing height to 2.5″. Continue to now weekly.
- Bluegrass: Lower mowing height to 2.0″.
- Make another irrigation inspection.
- Continue to water 4 times a week if rainfall is minimal.
- Plant fall bulbs for spring bloom.
- Apply winter turf food.
- Decrease watering schedule to 3 times a week.
- Cut back perennials after 1st frost, clean flower beds.
- Dig out frost tender bulbs.
- Mulch roses.
- Give lawn & landscape one last soaking to prevent winterkill.
- Call for sprinkler winterization.
- Winterize equipment ( it is not necessary to drain gasoline from equipmnet. Add a supplement such as StabilizerTM
- Change oil so you are ready for next spring.
- Sharpen blades on mowers, file tines on tiller, & wash mower bags to prevent fungus rot
- Time to test that snow blower!!!
IANR-UNL: All mowing and fertilizing information provided by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. This information should be used as a guide only.
Sod Watering Schedule
- Water 3 times a day, every day.
15 Min for spray head zones.
30 Min for rotary head zones.
- Eliminate 2nd Start Time
Water 2 times a day every day
15 Min for spray head zones.
30 Min for rotary head zones.
- Eliminate 3rd Start Time
Water 1 time a day every day
15 Min for spray head zones.
30 Min for rotary head zones.
- Shut-off controller and let yard dry out for about three days, then mow and apply starter fertilizer. it is now time to program the controller for the times located inside the controller door.
Seed Watering Schedule
- Apply starter fertilizer
- Water 6 times a day, every day
- 8 Min for spray head zones
- 15 Min for rotary zones
- Water 6 times a day, every day
- 8 Min for spray head zones
- 15 Min for rotary zones
- Water 5 times a day, every day. Eliminate 1 pm start time.
- 8 Min for spray head zones
- 15 Min for rotary zones
- Water 4 times a day, every day. Eliminate 4am start time.
- 8 Min for spray head zones
- 15 Min for rotary zones
- Water 3 times a day, every day. Eliminate 7pm start time.
- 8 Min for spray head zones
- 15 Min for rotary zones
- Water 2 times a day, every day. Eliminate 10am start time.
- 8 Min for spray head zones
- 15 Min for rotary zones
- Shut-off system.
- Let the lawn dry out for about 3 days.
- Mow at 3.5″ to 4″ in height.
- Overseed bare spots and program controller to times perscribed inside the controller door.