September Yard Care

Article By:
Audrey Durr
Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program Coordinator

Autumn is right around the corner and cooler temperatures mean your lawnmower won't be getting a weekly workout and you can hang up your pruning shears and put away the fertilizer spreader. The University of Florida has fact sheets available for each turfgrass, including a maintenance calendar, as well as hundreds of fact sheets for ornamental plants.

If you don't already know your soil's phosphorus level, have it tested by picking up a soil testing kit at the Citrus County Extension. Approximately two-thirds of Citrus County residents have phosphorus levels high enough that any additional phosphorus in the form of fertilizer is unnecessary, while one-third of residents have phosphorus levels that are below average and do justify the use of phosphorus in the form of fertilizer. If you just want to know your soil's pH, Citrus County Master Gardeners can test your soil's pH for $3.00. Depending upon your maintenance schedule, either September or October is the last time that fertilizer should be applied before the spring.

If ornamental plants require any pruning, do so before the month ends or wait until mid/late March. Pruning stimulates new growth that can be damaged by the cold, so it should therefore be suspended from October through March. Grass should be mowed at or above its recommended height; the minimum recommended height is 3-4 inches for Bahiagrass and 2.5-4 inches for St. Augustinegrass (although heights can vary by turf cultivar). Reduce plant stress by mowing with a sharp blade and removing no more than 1/3 of the blade at one time.
Plant water needs vary greatly throughout the year and overwatering causes more maintenance in the form of mowing/pruning and possibly pest/disease control. Over-irrigation is especially common in the fall and winter because seasonal adjustments are not made to the irrigation timer.

The average amount of irrigation that's needed by turfgrass in addition to rainfall is highest for the month of May, when it reaches 3.33 inches. For the coming months, plant water needs begin to decrease and the average supplemental irrigation needed per month is 1.31 inches for September, 2.23 inches for October, 1.66 inches for November and 0.84 inches for December.

The best way to irrigate – especially when plant water needs are decreasing – is by turning on the irrigation system only when plants exhibit the initial signs of drought stress (folding/curling leaves and footprints remaining in the lawn). As temperatures begin to cool, weekly irrigation probably won't be necessary.

If you use an irrigation timer, it should be adjusted monthly (or less ideally, seasonally) to reflect seasonal water requirements. A catch-can test should also be performed periodically to check the uniformity and rate of water application. This is done by placing empty tuna cans or measuring cups around the yard (all within range of the sprinkler, some close, some farther away), running the sprinkler for 15 minutes and then measuring the amount of water collected in each can/cup.

For each irrigation event, apply ½ to ¾ inch of water to encourage drought tolerance. Applying less than ½ inch of water will not encourage the roots to spread out in search of water, and more than ¾ inch of water will only rush past the root zone in sandy soils.

Rain shutoff devices are required on all automatic sprinkler systems installed since 1991. The device should be set to ½ inch; this overrides the irrigation system and prevents another irrigation cycle when adequate rainfall has been recently received. Soil moisture sensors are even more effective in preventing unnecessary irrigation. If soil moisture is adequate at the time of a scheduled irrigation event, the soil moisture sensor will prevent the irrigation system from operating.

For more information on Florida-friendly landscaping, visit the University of Florida's website www.solutionsforyourlife.org or contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN) program staff at your local Extension Office. FYN Program Coordinator Audrey Durr can be reached at 352-527-5708 or audrey.durr@bocc.citrus.fl.us. FYN Program Assistant Debbe Hooper can be reached at 352-527-5707 or debbe.hooper@bocc.citrus.fl.us.

The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program of the Citrus County Extension Service is a public education and outreach program of the University of Florida, funded jointly by the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners and the Coastal Rivers and Withlacoochee River Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

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For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact our office at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. For hearing impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Center at 1-800-955-8770 (voice) or 1-800 –955-8771 (TDD).

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