The dog days of summer
As July winds down and we usher in the month of August, we get into that time of the summer known as the Dog Days. It means many things to many people, but in the golf industry, it equates to long hours of catching up dry spots and watching for disease. The same can be said for our home lawns, although I highly doubt turf disease is an issue unless you overwater or overfertilize.
As I drive through my neighborhood early in the morning, the usual companions are lots and lots of sprinkler systems running and the occasional deer munching on someone's prized landscape. It's amazing how many sprinklers are either broken, out of adjustment or clogged, just on my street! I can't help but think, since there is an ugly brown spot at or near the sprinkler, that the homeowner is unaware of the problem. Since I witness it at 4:45 in the morning, I can only assume that you all aren't peering out your windows inspecting the performance of your irrigation system. If you are, then you're either an insomniac or you need to apply to work at the golf course. The point is that there's a reason for every problem on your lawn, and irrigation issues are relatively easy to trouble shoot. The three most common problems and solutions are as follows:
1. Sprinkler is broken. Typically, this is due to mechanical damage such as clipping it with a mower, running over it with your vehicle or vandalism. By turning on that sprinkler, it is simple to repair it and get rid of the nasty brown spot.
2. Sprinkler is clogged. If you have the typical small spray heads, there should be a screen found under the nozzle on the top of the body. By holding the riser up, you can easily unscrew the nozzle and pull out the screen and clean it. Don't take them out to avoid the problem since this will result in clogging of the nozzle itself, which is much more difficult to clear. This is especially true of systems that are fed off "dirty" water supply or where clogging has been noted in the past.
3. Sprinkler is out of adjustment. If you have adjustable part circles on your system, you can relate to this one. No adjustable sprinkler is foolproof. We use golf quality rotors that cost $150 or more, and they come out of adjustment from time to time. Checking your system on a regular basis, or at least when a problem is noted can easily save you from frustrating turf loss.
It's a great idea to check each of your stations on a monthly basis for proper operation. In addition, you should be making adjustments to run times at least monthly to account for longer or shorter days, as well as weather changes. All of these things are easy to do and will result in a better looking lawn and water savings along with it.
Kevin Hicks is the Golf Course Superintendent at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, and can be reached at khicks@cdaresort.com if you have any questions or feedback.