Often times in the more and more distant past, I used to worry about what work I would have for my crew and myself during the dormant grass season. For some lawn care companies, right around October 15th here in Columbia, South Carolina signals the start of either a long down time or a start of something new to do other than cut grass. What I do on many accounts to the delight of my customers is sow a winter rye grass lawn from seed.
To grow a winter rye grass lawn, you must first determine if it is appropriate to overseed the area that you have in mind. Overseeding St. Augustine or Centipede, for instance, with annual or perennial rye grass is a no-no in my book...unless you plan on renovating that area altogether in the spring when the rye is done.
Annual rye grass, when sown around the end of September will last until about May under some conditions. Perennial will last a bit longer, but is more of a permanent lawn. In this case, I'm speaking of overseeding with annual where you plan on letting your warm season grass come back in the coming spring.
At any rate, bermuda or bahia are the ideal warm season grasses to be overseeding. Another ideal area is a bare, spindly growth yard that is dry, fallow, and void of any attractive growth in the warm season. These ugly areas under trees, on slopes, etc can be absolutely beautiful and the envy of your neighbors if properly sown with rye grass in the fall.
If you plan on selling your home starting in the fall, spreading rye grass may be a great investment because it could make your house much more appealing.
Prepare the area by mowing the warm season grass really close. After a good close mow, bagging or collecting the clippings, make sure to rake away as much debris as you possibly can. Your goal is good seed to soil contact.
Once clear, spread your seed! Water the grass until it sprouts, then cut back on the watering. Once it sprouts, fertilize it. It grows really fast so plan on cutting it much more frequently.
Busy Bee Lawn Care is known for great rye grass lawns in the cool season. Look us up or give us a call today for a quote!
Friday, September 04, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
How to replace a sprinkler head
The first thing you need to do when you are doing any kind of sprinkler repair is to know where all the components are located. The questions you should have answered are where is the main water shutoff valve, where is the zone valve and what is the plan of action if there is an uncontrollable leak (call the sprinkler repair service!).
Assuming you have those answers, you can then proceed and replace the spinkler head. First, identify the problem. Is the problem in fact the sprinkler head itself or is it the valve or the irrigation control panel? If you have verified that it is the head, you can then make sure that the valve is in the off position and remove the head.
To remove the head, you may have to cut out some of the turf in the shape of a "donut" from around the head (most of the time you don't have to remove any sod, just wrench the head off through the turf with a large adjustable wrench). This will allow you to grip the head from the top. Twist the head left (loose) and very carefully pull it out of the hole. If any debris gets in the hole, it can clog the head (unless you know how to flush the head). With the head out, quickly exchange the old head for new, twisting the new head in place of the old head on the "ELL" pipe at the bottom of the hole.
Adjust the fixed, justified side of the sprinkler pattern: some heads are justified on the right side (Hunter), some on the left (Rain Bird). You will need to be familiar with how the head works in order to properly adjust this first and most crucial adjustment step.
Once the sprinkler head is twisted in to the right degree, you can then turn on the zone manually or by way of the control panel. Once you have water spraying through the sprinkler head, using the proper key for that popup, rotor style head, you can then adjust the spray pattern.
Submitted by: Ashley Brooks, Busy Bee Sprinkler Repair Service, Columbia S.C.
Assuming you have those answers, you can then proceed and replace the spinkler head. First, identify the problem. Is the problem in fact the sprinkler head itself or is it the valve or the irrigation control panel? If you have verified that it is the head, you can then make sure that the valve is in the off position and remove the head.
To remove the head, you may have to cut out some of the turf in the shape of a "donut" from around the head (most of the time you don't have to remove any sod, just wrench the head off through the turf with a large adjustable wrench). This will allow you to grip the head from the top. Twist the head left (loose) and very carefully pull it out of the hole. If any debris gets in the hole, it can clog the head (unless you know how to flush the head). With the head out, quickly exchange the old head for new, twisting the new head in place of the old head on the "ELL" pipe at the bottom of the hole.
Adjust the fixed, justified side of the sprinkler pattern: some heads are justified on the right side (Hunter), some on the left (Rain Bird). You will need to be familiar with how the head works in order to properly adjust this first and most crucial adjustment step.
Once the sprinkler head is twisted in to the right degree, you can then turn on the zone manually or by way of the control panel. Once you have water spraying through the sprinkler head, using the proper key for that popup, rotor style head, you can then adjust the spray pattern.
Submitted by: Ashley Brooks, Busy Bee Sprinkler Repair Service, Columbia S.C.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sprinkler Repair for Lawn & Garden Irrigation Systems
If you live in Columbia, South Carolina you probably have been experiencing the dry conditions we have been having lately. This occurs just about every year - the spring comes, everything starts to grow, then the summer sets in and we experience a drought, which dries out the new growth and forces the plants, particularly the grasses, to go dormant. If you currently have a sprinkler system, you may be in need of sprinkler repair. If you have an old yard, you may not have a system at all!
Sprinkler systems are quickly becoming more and more popular. Particularly, underground irrigation systems that are controlled with a control panel, have zones and valves, and have several sprinkler heads that pop up out from below the turf line.
Many new houses have sprinkler systems already installed in the front yard. Often times, the side yards and the back yard is left with no sprinkler system and no grass to speak of (maybe some hydro seed which is temporary). In this case, you would need to have some zones tapped into your existing system.
Most older houses didn't come with sprinkler systems installed. The lawns of past seem to have gotten by with either water from the sky or the above ground hoses and sprinklers that can clutter a yard and prove to be ineffective and inconsistant over time. If you decided to get a sprinkler system for an older house, the pricing would be higher because there is no backbone system to tap into. Some of the core components like the control panel, wiring, pvc piping, valves and valve boxes, etc would be built into the price of a new system.
For either new homes or old, there will come a time when you are in need of sprinkler system repair. When the time comes, it may be a good idea to call on a professional who is familiar with sprinkler system repair practices.
Sprinkler systems are quickly becoming more and more popular. Particularly, underground irrigation systems that are controlled with a control panel, have zones and valves, and have several sprinkler heads that pop up out from below the turf line.
Many new houses have sprinkler systems already installed in the front yard. Often times, the side yards and the back yard is left with no sprinkler system and no grass to speak of (maybe some hydro seed which is temporary). In this case, you would need to have some zones tapped into your existing system.
Most older houses didn't come with sprinkler systems installed. The lawns of past seem to have gotten by with either water from the sky or the above ground hoses and sprinklers that can clutter a yard and prove to be ineffective and inconsistant over time. If you decided to get a sprinkler system for an older house, the pricing would be higher because there is no backbone system to tap into. Some of the core components like the control panel, wiring, pvc piping, valves and valve boxes, etc would be built into the price of a new system.
For either new homes or old, there will come a time when you are in need of sprinkler system repair. When the time comes, it may be a good idea to call on a professional who is familiar with sprinkler system repair practices.
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