RAKE LEAVES, LOOK FOR LEAKS - TexasET Network Landscape Watering Recommendations - "CougarCare Central Austin"

As you can probably imagine with the cool weather and the rain over the weekend, there is NO WATERING REQUIRED this week for warm season grasses, also no watering required for cool season rye grasses.

If you have not already done so, picking up all the fallen trees leaves from the grassy areas will to allow the grass to get some sunlight and dry out. This is the time of year where fungus diseases like brown patch, take-all root rot , and necrotic rings ( aka fairy rings ) can get a foot hold and reek havok on lawns. These diseases typically start in areas where leaves then to accumulate and there is little sunlight and airflow so the grass and the soil does not dry out.

You can learn more from the Texas A&M Agrilife website

https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/answers4you/disease/Take-all.pdf

What should I be doing this time for year with my irrigation system? After the recent freezes, it is a good idea to walk the yard and look for any mushy spots that may indicate a leak in the system. A lot of smaller leaks are easier to find this time of year as they will not dry out and sometimes only become an issue after these extreme temperature swings where the pipes can shrink or contract over long runs.

How to troubleshoot a leak 

1. Check the water meter to see if the small triangle ( unusually red ) is moving or rotating. If it is rotating then

2. Shut off the water to the irrigation system, at or before the backflow.

3. If the triangle STOPS , then there is a leak, mark any suspect areas with a flag or stake and wait a few days to see if the area dries up. 

4. Call us to come out an troubleshoot 512-769-2351 or email service@cougarirrigation.com

Otherwise, enjoy the cool weather.

Cougar Matt out.

Watering recommendation for "CougarCare Central Austin" for the past 7 days:0.08 inches* Date ETo Max Temperature Min Temperature Min Humidity Total Rainfall 01-07-2015 0.11 48 23 32 0 01-08-2015 0.05 37 30 42 0 01-09-2015 0.04 37 32 47 0.14 01-10-2015 0.02 42 33 97 0.37 NOTE: These reported values are hourly averages, not absolute highs and lows. *Recommendations based on the following parameters (assuming no rainfall): Adjust this watering recommendation for any rainfall that you have received during this time period. An error has been detected in the weather data used to report this recommendation. TexasET Weather Station : Austin (Morris Williams) Plant Coefficient : Warm Season Adjustment factor : Normal

This information is provided by the "Irrigation Technology Program" under the direction of Dr. Guy Fipps. If you would like to discontinue service please click on the link above to log into your TexasET profile. To discontinue service for only this station select "modify" from your site list and delete the site. To discontinue all TexasET emails select "Modify your user profile" and uncheck "Receive watering recommendations by email".

This email was sent to cougar.irrigation@gmail.com by Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension

Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension 600 John Kimbrough BLVD, Suite 509 7101 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-7101