What to do When it Rains

After weeks of no rain and bone dry conditions there are a few things to do now that it has rained:

1. Do not Turn Off the Irrigation System: Too often people rush to cut off the irrigation when it rains and then forget to turn it back on when needed. You are not wasting water by watering before/after/during rain. Our sandy soils are like a giant bucket with holes – you need to keep adding water to keep it full. Also water is in a constant cycle never being wasted. For more info read: There is No Water Shortage
2. Be patient: It took weeks for the damage to complete and healing will take even longer. In addition the healthy turf will turn green and the weaker turf will still be brown – looking like a “black eye” in the lawn. Relax and let the healing take place – God created the turf such that it will recover without a raking, scraping, probing and the such. The #1 determing factor for recovery is providing adequate water on a regular schedule (see #1 of What to do When it Rains).
3. Fix and Repair the Irrigation: Those brown spots show you a) you have a problem and b) where the problem is located. Take the time  during these times to tune up and repair your irrigation. Also irrigation repairmen are idle during rainy periods, so it is a good time to get a repairman to the house.

Rain is so good for our lawns. It not only wets the entire area, rain also “balances” the soil by flushing out the bad and supplying the good.

Praise God for the rain!