Our goal is to make sure that YOU are satisfied! Dr. Sprinkler Repair – Draper, UT (801) 988-9671

Dr. Sprinkler Repair specializes in sprinkler repair, installation, sprinkler blowouts, winterization, and more for all of the Draper area.

We strive for outstanding customer service through excellent communication and work quality. Our goal is to make sure that YOU are satisfied with your Dr. Sprinkler Repair experience!

Dr. Sprinkler Repair – Draper, UT (801) 988-9671
http://www.drsprinkler.info/dr-sprinkler-repair-salt-lake-county/

Causes of DRY SPOTS and How to Fix Them! Dr. Sprinkler Repair, Draper, UT – (801) 988-9671

Dr. Sprinkler Repair knows that nobody in Draper, UT, wants dry, brown spots on what should be a lush, green lawn. So we’ve compiled a list of the common causes of dry spots and possible remedies so that YOU, our customer, can have a healthy and thriving lawn this summer. When it comes to your sprinkler system, don’t forget to give Dr. Sprinkler Repair a call. We specialize in sprinkler repair, as well as sprinkler installation and maintenance. Call Dr. Sprinkler Repair (Draper, UT) today at (801) 988-9671.

• Animal Urine
  • Dogs are the most common culprit, but large birds and other animals can cause urine spots, too. Urine usually causes your lawn to turn yellow in spots, sometimes with a bright green ring around the edges where the diluted nitrogen in the urine acts as a fertilizer. Cut out the dead spot and fill it with plugs cut from sod. Head to a nursery with a clump from your lawn and find a strip of sod that matches, or wait until the fall and sow fresh seed after clearing the dead grass and loosening the soil.
• Buried Debris
  • Buried debris, such as lumber, rocks, metal, etc., can have an obvious effect on the surface of your lawn. Use a screwdriver to poke around beneath a dry spot to see if anything is underneath the sod. If possible, remove the debris.
• Chemicals
  • Gasoline, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides can cause dead spots if spilled. If fertilizer is applied unevenly or incorrectly, it can burn the grass. Even insect repellents can burn your lawn when sprayed on the grass blades. Pour chemicals, fuels, and sprays on your driveway, not on your lawn, and follow application directions.
• Compacted Soil
  • Aerate to relieve soil compaction. Add organic matter and reseed.
• Diseases
  • Fungal Diseases
    • Brown patch and other fungal diseases thrive in moist conditions, most often in midsummer (when nights and days are hot and humid) and spring (as snow melts). They may show up as circular or irregular brown spots, or you may notice a spotting or infected pattern on the blades or a generally dying/thinning out. Increase air circulation and sunlight as much as you can, to make your lawn less inviting to fungus. Note the size and shape of the damage as well as the frequency of watering, fertilizer, mowing habits, and sunlight in order to diagnose the disease correctly. Take a sample of the affected grass (blades, roots, and soil) to your local cooperative extension office for analysis.
• Dormancy
  • Cool-season lawns can go dormant during the heat of summer while warm-season lawns go dormant during the winter. If your lawn has a mix of grasses, you’ll have curious brown patches as some areas go dormant while others stay green. Seasonal dormancy is normal, but make sure your lawn is healthy and strong to prevent unnecessary browning.
•  Drought
  • Lawns need one inch of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. Dry, compacted spots are more easily drought-damaged. Keep an eye on dry, sunny spots, especially if your soil drains poorly. If you irrigate, make sure your entire lawn is watered evenly.
• Dull Mower
  • Dull mower blades tear your grass, causing damage and gradual death to the grass. Sharpen your blades in fall and spring. After mowing, examine your grass to see if the mower is cutting cleanly.
•  Erosion
  • Water tends to run off slopes, taking grass seeds and young shoots with it, and leaving bare ground or dried out areas behind. Aerate your lawn to increase water absorption. If the slope is steep, consider building terraces or planting groundcover.
• Excessive Pesticide Use
  • Applying too much insecticide or herbicide can “burn” turfgrass and lead to yellow or brown grass. Follow the manufacturer’s specifications on amount and frequency of application.
• Foot Traffic
  • Aerate to relieve soil compaction and reseed. Redirect the traffic. If that proves impossible, install a walkway.
• Hot and Cold Temperature Extremes
  • Wait for a change in the weather. Keep your eyes open for early signals of lawn problems.
•  Iron
  • Another reason for discoloration could be lack of iron in your soil. Some of the more common areas of the yard that you might find turning yellow from iron deficiency are those adjacent to things made of concrete. Driveways, sidewalks and concrete planters can be the culprits. The high alkaline content in concrete tends to absorb the iron found in soil, reducing the amount of iron your lawn or garden receives. Iron deficiency appears in patches. Blades may yellow but the veins retain their green color. Iron deficiency may not affect growth. Alkaline soils (such as those in the Midwestern and Western states) are especially susceptible to iron deficiencies. You can add iron as a soil supplement to neutralize alkalinity and help replenish the iron that occurs naturally in the soil. Apply as directed on the package. Remove the product from masonry or concrete surfaces before watering to avoid staining.
•  Nitrogen
  • Lawns that are not getting enough nitrogen (the key component of lawn fertilizer) will begin to change to light green and then yellow. The color change usually begins to show first in the lower leaves. Reduced growth is also a sign of nitrogen deficiency. Normally the entire lawn is affected. Adding nitrogen will help restore the green color if you fertilize properly. Applying too much at the wrong time can do more harm than good. Follow the package instructions carefully. Grass cycling – leaving grass clippings on your lawn after mowing – adds nitrogen naturally to the lawn.
•  Pests
  • Grubs
    • Grubs are a common problem in mid to late summer, and most easily identified when your sod easily pulls back from the ground like a carpet. Pull back a section of sod and inspect for fat, white curved worms. More than ten per square foot can cause lawn damage. Grub control products are available at your garden center.
  • Chinch bugs
    • Chinch bugs are a common summer pest in warm-season lawns, especially in hot sunny patches beside driveways and sidewalks. Inspect your lawn closely, and look at your shoes as you walk through the grass – you should be able to spot the small black and white adults. They’re resistant to many pesticides, but there are products available to target them.
  • Other insects
    • Caterpillars and other pests can live part of their life cycle in lawns. Watch your lawn closely – look for crawling and munching insects and for grass blades that look eaten. Also watch for birds and wasps feeding on these pests in your lawn.
• Poor Soil
  • Soil quality can vary in your lawn, and poor soil can occur in patches, causing brown, bare areas or moss. Take a screwdriver and push it into the soil. If it doesn’t go easily, your soil is likely compacted. Try aerating and top-dressing to incorporate organic matter in the soil. When you aerate, take a look at the plugs, to see how the quality and texture of your lawn varies in different spots. Keep this in mind as you amend and improve your soil.
•  Roots
  • Large trees or shrubs usually win the battle for water and nutrients. The area under trees is notoriously difficult for growing grass. Consider mulching or naturalizing areas under trees and shrubs.
•  Scalping
  • If your mower blade is set too low or there are lumps in the lawn, it can cut the grass too short and cause damage. Practice proper mowing techniques by raising your mower blades, and smooth out high spots by digging up the sod, removing some of the soil underneath, and replacing the sod.
• Shady Areas
  • If you can’t beat the shade, join it—by replacing the grass with flowers and plants that don’t need a lot of sunlight. Wax begonias and torenias are two flowering annuals that add pops of color. So do New Guinea impatiens, and they’re not susceptible to the mildew-induced disease that has infected garden impatiens in recent years. Among perennials, lungworts produce pretty blue, pink, or white flower clusters, and their leaves are spotted with silver or white. Also check out plants with pretty foliage. The deep red leaves of the coleus, an annual, and the peach-colored foliage of the perennial coral bells will brighten a shady area.
• Too Much or Too Little Fertilizer
  • Too much fertilizer causes excessive growth. Too little does not provide enough nutrition to promote the strong roots, crowns and leaves needed to withstand disease. Follow the proper feeding schedule for your turfgrass.
• Too Much or Too Little Water
  • If the lawn is not getting enough water, the turfgrass begins to resemble straw. Walking on the lawn leaves footprints in the turf. Water only when needed to prevent overwatering. Do it as early in the day as possible to allow evaporation from grass blades. Be sure to follow any watering ordinances or restrictions for your area.
• Watering During the Day
  • It is actually best to water your lawn in the early morning, before the sun has risen, or in the late evening, after the sun has set. Water droplets on grass can act as magnifying glasses for the sun’s rays, which will actually burn the grass instead of hydrating it. Setting sprinkler timers for optimal watering hours will help with this issue. For help with setting up a sprinkler timer and/or repairing or installing a sprinkler system, call Dr. Sprinkler Repair today!

Thanks to ConsumerReports.org, Julie Day at TodaysHomeowner.com, and Lowes.com for the great info on dry spots and their causes!

Dr. Sprinkler Repair, Draper, UT – (801) 988-9671

http://www.drsprinkler.info/dr-sprinkler-repair-salt-lake-county/

Dr. Sprinkler Salt Lake City – (801) 988-9671

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

“What do you do when the greenest things in your lawn are weeds? …. The overall approach: Choke the weeds out not with chemicals, but by creating a new lush lawn of healthy grass.”

Let Air In

“Aerating the soil brings oxygen to the soil and helps water seep farther down, which encourages more growth. Although there are aerating machines on the market, they’re noisy, smelly and a little too much for an average size lawn. Paul suggests a manual tool instead.”

http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/how-to-reclaim-a-weedy-yard/index.html

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

Create your own Living Wreath!

WOW! When I saw this wreath, I could not believe that something so beautiful could also be a living, growing creation. Bring life to your front door or dining table with a living wreath. Thanks to Taysia Scarano and The Daily for this awesome tutorial.

Materials needed:

• Pair of latex gloves
• Floral wire
• Wreath frame
• Sphagnum moss
• Floral pins
• Pencil/pen/screwdriver (something to make a hole for the succulents)
• Rooting hormone
• Succulents

Instructions:

1. Soak your sphagnum moss in a large bowl. The moss must be completely saturated for 10 minutes.
2. Take moss out and wring out the water. Set aside. (Wear gloves and a face mask when dealing with the moss.)
3. With your floral wire, tie a knot to one end of the wreath frame.
4. Take a handful of moss and stuff it into the frame, forming your desired shape and thickness.
5. Wrap the wire around the moss. This will hold the moss in place. Continue the process, one handful of moss at a time, until the wreath is covered.
6. Organize your succulent cuttings. We organized ours by size and color.
7. To plant the cuttings in the wreath, use a pencil/pen/screwdriver to create a hole in the moss.
8. One cutting at a time, dip the end into the rooting hormone and then stick it in the hole in the wreath.
9. To keep the succulent in place until it roots, secure it with a floral pin.
10. Repeat steps eight and nine until the wreath is complete.
11. Spray or soak in water once every two to three weeks. Do not overwater! If you are unsure, hold the wreath and feel its weight; if it feels very light and dry, it’s time to water it. Succulents need about three to four hours of sunlight, either early morning or late afternoon.

Source: http://www.astorybooklife.com/gardens/living-wreath/

Dr. Sprinkler Salt Lake City – (801) 988-9671

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

“Gardeners living in areas where it freezes in the winter–which is virtually everywhere north of Zone 8–often have a two-toned lawn, so named because the lawn is both green and brown at the same time.

There are usually two reasons for the two-toned lawn, says master gardener Paul James. “One is that many homeowners desperately want a green lawn year-round so they over-seed warm-season Bermuda or zoysia lawns, which go brown during the winter months due to dormancy, with a cool-season grass that stays green throughout the winter months. In nearly all cases, reseeding must be done every year, and unless the seed is spread uniformly, a two-toned lawn is inevitable.”

If you reseed on a regular basis and at the right time for your area, you can achieve the uniformity you desire. Bear in mind, though, that with this kind of lawn, you may extend the mowing season by at least few weeks and you’ll have to continue watering for perhaps a few months.

The other reason for a two-toned lawn has to do with growing conditions, especially in landscapes with lots of mature trees. Throughout the country and in older neighborhoods in particular, parts of the lawn may be in full sun, while parts may be in the shade cast by large trees. This creates a real problem because warm-season grasses like to grow in full sun and don’t like to be in the shade, and cool-season grasses love the shade, but they don’t really like growing in the blazing sun. As a result, people wind up with two-toned lawn.

In this type of situation, there is no easy solution, says James. ‘You can open up the canopies of the trees by removing several of the large branches to let more of the light in, you can limb up the trees to achieve essentially the same effect, or you can forget trying to grow grass under the trees all together and opt instead for rugged, shade-tolerant ground cover, or maybe just a bunch of mulch . . . . And in fact, that’s often the best solution, especially since all the water and nutrients are quickly sucked right out of the soil by the dense tree roots, making it next to impossible to grow grass beneath them anyway.’”

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/two-toned-lawn/index.html?ic1=obinsite

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

Dr. Sprinkler Salt Lake City – (801) 988-9671

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

Feeding

“The amount of fertilizer you need to maintain lush green grass depends on how rich the underlying soil is, and if you occasionally leave the clippings on the lawn, which help top up the soil nutrients. Apply granular or liquid lawn fertilizer at least once a year. Spring and early summer feeds are high in nitrogen to boost leaf growth; products for use in early autumn are low in nitrogen but high in potassium to aid grass roots in winter. Do not overfeed because it can result in weak growth and fungal problems.”

“Divide the lawn into a grid of yard squares using stakes. Apply fertilizer at the rate according to the package. Rent a calibrated spreader for large lawns, and water if it doesn’t rain within three days after feeding.”

http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/how-to-care-for-your-lawn/index.html

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

Dr. Sprinkler Repair LLC – Draper, UT 801-988-9671

Call Dr. Sprinkler: 801-988-9671

http://www.drsprinkler.info/

Watering

“In dry periods, water newly laid turf, freshly sown areas, and high-quality lawns. Leave established lawns unwatered, but stop mowing because longer grass helps protect the roots. The grass may turn brown, but will recover once it rains.”

“Water a new lawn every week in dry spells, until it is established. You can tell when fine lawns need watering because they lose their spring when walked on. Reduce water evaporation by using sprinklers early in the morning or at night. Move seep hoses by 8 inches every half hour.”

http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/how-to-care-for-your-lawn/index.html

Turn Off the Timer

Automatic irrigation systems have a controller or timer. Most controllers have a “rain” or “off” mode that shuts off the signals to the valves. Turning it “off” allows the controller to keep all the essential programming information stored in it. The only change is that the valves will not activate. If you unplug or cut the power to your controller, be aware that you may need to reprogram it in the spring.

http://www.rainbird.com/corporate/press/releases/Winterization.htm

Call Dr. Sprinkler: 801-988-9671

http://www.drsprinkler.info/

Dr. Sprinkler Salt Lake City – (801) 988-9671

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

“Gardeners living in areas where it freezes in the winter–which is virtually everywhere north of Zone 8–often have a two-toned lawn, so named because the lawn is both green and brown at the same time.

There are usually two reasons for the two-toned lawn, says master gardener Paul James. “One is that many homeowners desperately want a green lawn year-round so they over-seed warm-season Bermuda or zoysia lawns, which go brown during the winter months due to dormancy, with a cool-season grass that stays green throughout the winter months. In nearly all cases, reseeding must be done every year, and unless the seed is spread uniformly, a two-toned lawn is inevitable.”

If you reseed on a regular basis and at the right time for your area, you can achieve the uniformity you desire. Bear in mind, though, that with this kind of lawn, you may extend the mowing season by at least few weeks and you’ll have to continue watering for perhaps a few months.

The other reason for a two-toned lawn has to do with growing conditions, especially in landscapes with lots of mature trees. Throughout the country and in older neighborhoods in particular, parts of the lawn may be in full sun, while parts may be in the shade cast by large trees. This creates a real problem because warm-season grasses like to grow in full sun and don’t like to be in the shade, and cool-season grasses love the shade, but they don’t really like growing in the blazing sun. As a result, people wind up with two-toned lawn.

In this type of situation, there is no easy solution, says James. ‘You can open up the canopies of the trees by removing several of the large branches to let more of the light in, you can limb up the trees to achieve essentially the same effect, or you can forget trying to grow grass under the trees all together and opt instead for rugged, shade-tolerant ground cover, or maybe just a bunch of mulch . . . . And in fact, that’s often the best solution, especially since all the water and nutrients are quickly sucked right out of the soil by the dense tree roots, making it next to impossible to grow grass beneath them anyway.’”

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/two-toned-lawn/index.html?ic1=obinsite

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

Dr. Sprinkler Salt Lake City – (801) 988-9671

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

“You can literally save thousands of gallons of water in your landscape, and save your plants from drowning, with the proper setting of your irrigation controller. But you can’t just set it and forget it. You need to change the watering schedules as plants become established, with the changing seasons, and when it rains. Here’s [a link to] an easy guide to make setting your irrigation controller easier than programming your VCR”

http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/landscape-care/timing-is-everything/

http://www.sprinklerut.com/

Call Dr. Sprinkler: (801) 988-9671

Dr. Sprinkler Repair LLC – Draper, UT – (801) 988-9671

Sprinkler Winterization: (801) 988-9671.

Install a Wireless Rain/Freeze Sensor

Rain/Freeze sensors prevent the irrigation system from turning on when the temperatures drop below freezing, or during a rainstorm. A sudden cold snap before the system is winterized cannot only result in damage, but also wasted water. Watering before or during freezes can create problems with lawns, shrubs and trees, as well as create ice on walkways or streets. Rain Bird’s WR2 Wireless Rain/Freeze Sensor connects to most irrigation controllers, and overrides the watering schedule when it detects rain or freezing temperatures. Once conditions improve, the system will return to normal operation.

http://www.rainbird.com/corporate/press/releases/Winterization.htm

Sprinkler Winterization: (801) 988-9671