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Sod Care and Maintenance
In order to help you keep your newly
installed sod in prime condition, Champion
Sprinklers & Landscaping is providing you
with these instructions for care and
maintenance.
Watering
Once the sod has been installed it is
important that watering begin immediately.
For the first week your new sod is down,
water every day! Water every section of the
new lawn in 30-minute cycles, twice a day.
Do not be afraid of over watering! If you
see mushrooms, don’t worry, just cut back
watering cycles to 15-20 minutes. The
mushrooms will not harm the lawn and will
dry up once you are able to water less. Once
your lawn is established, you have to use
your own judgement when it comes to
watering. Remember it will depend on the
temperature and rainfall. If the grass looks
too dry, it probably is!
Mowing
You should wait at least 10 days to 2
weeks before you mow your new lawn. To avoid
any root damage and subsequent browning, set
your mower at least 2-3" high. Keep in mind
that some areas may not have rooted yet, so
take it slow. Keep grass clippings and
leaves off new sod.
Fertilizing
The final key towards helping your new
lawn adapt properly is the use of
fertilizer. You should fertilize your lawn
one-month after installation. Use an equal
increment granulated fertilizer such as
12-12-12 or 13-13-13. Your lawn should be
fertilized once a month except in the hotter
months (July & August). Always water your
lawn after fertilizing. In October you
should be getting your lawn ready for the
winter months ahead. We recommend a 5-20-20
granulated fertilizer. Remember, spring and
fall are times to treat crabgrass. Use a
weed & feed in May for broad leaf weeds.
Moving
Add new sod, turn off sprinkler system,
allow to dry before attempting to cut.
POND CARE
Algae control
Algae problems are most likely the result
of an unbalanced ecosystem. This can easily
be solved by creating balance. A water
garden is an ecosystem of interrelated
elements that all play an important role in
its function. It is extremely common for
new ponds to experience an algae problem
while it gets settled. You can purchase a
specific algae product or a water clarifier
as well as adding the beneficial bacteria
that works to eliminate excessive algae.
The parts of this ecosystem include:
circulation system, filtration system,
plants fish, rocks, gravel & bacteria.
Here are some algae control methods:
- Plants: Since they directly compete
with the algae for nutrients, plants are
the most important part of the pond. Use
a wide variety of plants, they will add
to the natural look of the pond and
reduce algae growth as well.
- Physical removal: It’s the quickest
but most labor-intensive way to combat
algae. Remove clumps of string algae
from rocks by cutting with scissors or a
knife.
- Add Koi over 10 in. in length. If
they’re not over fed they will graze on
string algae
- Don’t over feed the fish: Fish
should only be fed what they can eat
within a few minutes. Fish food that
isn’t eaten will add more nutrients to
the pond and feed the algae. Even if all
the food is consumed it will be excreted
back into the ecosystem as fish waste,
which still feeds the algae. When
fighting algae growth feeding should be
reduced or eliminated until algae is
under control. This will also force the
fish to consume the algae.
- Don’t overstock the pond with fish:
Fish excrete waste, which adds nutrients
to the pond and increases the nutrient
load for the algae.
- Clean the BIOFALLS no more than once
a year: The BIOFALLS houses bacteria
just as rocks & gravel do. The debris
that builds up is natural and washing it
out will greatly reduce the amount of
bacteria in the ecosystem.
- Fix leaks: When you add tap water to
make up for water loss you add
nutrients. This promotes algae growth.
- Control run-off: Never us
fertilizers or insecticides on trees
around a pond or in areas that have the
potential to drain towards the pond.
These fertilizers feed algae growth and
threaten aquatic life.
- Remove debris: An excess of decaying
debris will add to the nutrient levels
that algae need to thrive.
Here are some plants that would be
beneficial:
- Water Hyacinth
- Water lilies (the floating pads
help block sunlight, this is a major
factor in algae growth)
- Iris
Top Algae Control Methods
- AquaClearer Bacteria:
Bacteria should be added
regularly throughout the season.
It competes with the algae for
nutrients, starving the algae of
it’s food source.
- String Algae Buster:
Effective against string algae
only. Algae is dependent on
calcium to create its structure,
S.A.B. “locks up” all the
available calcium. This forces
the string algae to become
brittle, crack and fall off the
rocks.
- Barley Mats: When it comes
in contact with water barley
begins to decompose. One of the
by-products this produces is a
series of natural peroxides
which have been scientifically
proven to break down the cell
walls of algae. Peroxides also
reduce the capability of algae
to form new cell growth. (DO NOT
confuse these peroxides with
hydrogen peroxide which is
actually a strong oxidizer! High
levels of it will kill
beneficial bacteria!!)
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