I just installed my controller and curious about the default run times in the flex daily schedule. Here in Corolla, NC, I have Bermuda grass growing basically in what was a sand dune. Everything I’ve read says that in these conditions you should water for longer times but less frequently in order to promote root growth. However, when I set up the flex daily schedule it defaults to short run times (10 and 16 minutes based on the sprinkler head) that run every day. Water is very expensive here, so I am trying to find the right options for keeping the grass presentable but not a golf course. Thanks.
@johng - post the settings for a zone - soil type, slope, precipitation rate, etc. and I think someone from the community will chime in.
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Some additional info:
Zone Type: Warm season grass (i.e., Bermuda)
Soil type: sand
Exposure: lots of sun
Rachio schedule:
Type: Flex daily schedule
Interval: S, M, T, W, Th, F, S
Spray head: rotor head zones
Slope: flat
Water duration: 16 minutes
Spray head: fixed spray head zones
Slope: slight
Water duration: 10 minutes
Climate:
Typical coastal North Carolina weather
Bright sun
Hot, humid
occasional summertime thunderstorms
To keep the grass from browning, I had been watering with my Hunter controller 4 days per week using:
- 20 minutes for zones using the fixed heads
- 45 minutes for zones using the rotor heads
@johng - what is the setting for the root zone depth, efficiency and plant coefficient, precipitation rate?
I also have sand for soil, you need to water almost daily (at least for cool season grass) in the summer as water flows right through it and has low storage capacity. So watering “deeply and infrequent” just doesn’t work, I believe that logic tends to apply more to clay and loam that has larger water capacity.