Weather Conditions
It’s not uncommon for rain or too much wind to temporarily delay our services until weather conditions are better.
So we may occasionally be delayed a day or two or three before getting to your lawn, but be assured, we won’t forget about you. We’ll get back to your lawn as soon as we can.
We leave you a record of the conditions that day
- Our lawn techs record wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and the time of each application, on your invoice slip. We keep this information for our own records as well.
We are typically okay to spray in winds up to 15 km/hr
- Anything greater than this will likely mean that we will be forced to shut down for the day. Even when the wind approaches 15 km/hr our techs will pay close attention to the wind direction, and sensitive areas that could be affected such as a client’s nearby garden or a neighbour’s shrubs. Sometimes certain areas will be more protected than others, in which case, we leave it up to the discretion of our experienced crew leaders in borderline conditions.
Rain also plays a role in what we do, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad
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We do not want to spray when the ground/lawn is too saturated or when rain is in the forecast as this can wash the herbicide off any weeds and render the herbicide ineffective.
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If the forecast is showing a 50% or less chance of rain later in the day, we are likely to make the decision to spray anyways. For anything greater than a 50% chance we are likely to hold off. This decision is based on several other factors such as our schedule and what the forecast looks like in the immediate subsequent days to come, etc.
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If it should happen, that whilst we are spraying your lawn, it surprisingly does start to momentarily sprinkle a bit of rain but doesn’t continue for long, this isn’t apt to have much impact on the effectiveness of the herbicide component of our spray. It’s only if it were to suddenly be a downpour or lengthy rainfall that it may wash off too much of the herbicide rendering it less effective. We always do our best to stay attuned to the ongoing weather forecasts at all times. Those instances where we’re suddenly faced with a surprise rainfall during an otherwise sunny and clear day are very rare. If we were to be suddenly caught in the midst of a serious downpour, we would reschedule or finish your application at a later time.
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Reciprocally, if we’ve sprayed your lawn and it’s forecast to rain within 8 to 24 hours later, then that can sometimes take the place of you having to water your lawn after the application has dried.
Temperature also plays an important role
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27 degrees C is the typical cut-off to cease spraying. Our techs are very mindful about this, too. When temperatures are too hot the product can vaporize and the spray could end up where it’s not supposed to be. For example, on a very hot day we surely wouldn’t want to take a chance spraying your lawn underneath a hanging basket wherein the product may vaporize & reach up onto the plants or flowers above.
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The final role temperature plays is the potential risk of a lawn getting scorched by the fertilizer before it’s had a chance for you to water it thoroughly - We’ll do our best but we may not always be able to wait till the weather presents us with perfect conditions. In such cases, and not withstanding the above 27 degree limit, if we’ve had to spray your lawn in hot conditions or during dry weather, it’s very important for you to water it thoroughly asap to avoid the risk of burning your lawn. You must be mindful about this, too.
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There are, of course, some other variables which come into play, too. However, a healthy lawn that has been cared for and managed well is apt to have deep roots and a better overall drought-tolerant “immune system”, so to speak. It may be a little more forgiving if not watered as quickly or as deeply. But if a lawn has shallow roots and hasn’t been the recipient of proper routine watering, the risk of scorching your grass is increased. On a hot dry day, be sure to water it thoroughly, sooner than later.