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In case some in our neighborhood are new to Florida, the Tampa area, or in case you might have forgotten, here are some tips on lawn care. As we do not have "Reclaimed Water" in our neighborhood, Hillsborough County has issued watering restrictions (always check here for the most current guidelines):   The best time to set your timer for watering is in the early morning hours so the grass doesn’t remain wet all night (which could cause fungus).

In our neighborhood, we have mostly St. Augustine grass and this type of lawn requires about 3/4″ of water per week in one application. With this watering schedule, the grass roots will grow deep and the grass will be healthier and more drought tolerant. Consistently getting more water than that is needed can be detrimental to your lawn, so buy a rain gauge (less than $2.00 at Home Depot) and put it in an open area of your yard – but not where it will be hit by the mower! Monitor the rainfall, and turn your sprinkling system off when the grass gets 3/4″ or more rain in one rainfall. Most control units have a RAlN or PAUSE setting, so in the summer, you may not need to use the sprinkling system often due to our typical summer rains.

In the Spring, before it gets too hot, check out your sprinkler system. Turn on one zone at a time and see whether you’re getting good coverage to all areas of your yard while trying not to water the sidewalk, driveway, or street and adjust the individual sprinklers if necessary. Sometimes they get sand or dirt in them and must be taken out and cleaned. Be sure the grass isn’t growing over a riser or pop-up sprinkler which will not allow it to do its job.

St. Augustine grass should be cut high, ideally 3″ to 4″ high. Mow frequently enough so that no more than 1/3 of the grass blade is cut off. Mowing this way, you can leave the clippings on the grass and take advantage of free fertilizer. Mowing too infrequently can cause a buildup of thatch. Mowing too low causes problems in turf quality. Constant low mowing reduces the density and vigor of the grass. Either a reel or rotary mower can be used and it is important to keep the blades sharp and well-adjusted to get a clean cut. During the growing season, blades should be sharpened monthly.

Fertilize your lawn twice a year – once in the spring and again in the late summer. Apply a complete fertilizer such as 16-4-8, 70-10-10, or 6-6-6 with micronutrients at a rate of one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn (NEVER apply more nitrogen than that in one application). Using a fertilizer with a high percentage of slow-release nitrogen (often read as water-insoluble nitrogen or urea nitrogen) will allow the nitrogen to have a longer effect on the lawn; fast-acting nitrogen can burn the lawn. If you want to fertilize in the summer, use a slow-release nitrogen-only fertilizer. Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn can also provide extra nitrogen between fertilizations. Heavy fertilization rates will produce a faster buildup of thatch than lower rates. It can also encourage insect damage and will increase the amount of water needed and the frequency of mowing.

If you have problems or questions concerning your yard and what is growing there, call the Cooperative Extension Office at 744-5519.