It’s the dry season in Florida and that means somebody who handles the big sprinkler system in the sky shut off the flow valve. Although Tempco Pest Control is not in the irrigation business, we see our fair share of drought-related distressed lawns that become susceptible to insect damage and disease. Although sometimes the problem is a broken irrigation system or a dried-up well, most municipalities have some level of watering restrictions that leave grass and shrub roots vulnerable. When the ground is hard, dried, and cracked, water has two forces pulling at it – gravity and evaporation. When water falls on the earth while it’s very dry, it either sits on top or runs through the cracks toward the aquifer, often bypassing roots. The small amount of irrigation that actually remains may not be sufficient and we soon see grasses and shrubs begin to wilt. On the opposite side, we see overwatering to compensate for the normal rainfall, which leads to fungus and mold issues.
Tempco’s new Water Management System may be the elixir your lawn desperately needs in the dry winter months. We use a product called Hydretain which manages soil moisture and extends the time water remains available to the roots between watering intervals. Hydretain contains hygroscopic humectant compounds that anchor one end to soil particles and root hairs and the other end grabs free water molecules from humid air circulating in the soil to create droplets that plants can use. It’s almost like tiny water magnets gathering moisture and expanding the available water source. This creates something like a time-released moisture schedule that keeps grass and shrubs happy and healthy even in the driest winter months.
We are very excited to offer this new service to our customers. Water is a valuable resource and in Southwest Florida, it is critical to the environment that we decrease the amount we use as much as possible. The cost on this is minimal – for a treatment that lasts 90 days, we can treat up to an 8,000 square foot yard for $75 or less if you are an existing customer. Just give us a call at 239-693-2330 and our tech will prepare an estimate.
