Most of the year, Forest Grove and Hillsboro get more rain than a lawn knows what to do with. Then around the Fourth of July it shuts off, and for ten or twelve weeks almost nothing falls. A lawn that looked perfect in June is brown by August unless the irrigation is set correctly.
Water early, between four and seven in the morning. Evaporation is lowest, wind is calm, and the grass dries by midday, which keeps fungus down. Evening watering leaves the lawn wet overnight and invites disease, especially on shaded west-side lots.
Water deeply and less often. Two or three longer cycles a week push roots down; a few minutes every day keeps roots shallow and the lawn stressed. Most rotor zones need around forty minutes per cycle and spray zones about fifteen, but clay soil common around Washington County absorbs slowly, so split long cycles into two shorter runs an hour apart to avoid runoff.
Walk the zones once a month. Heads get knocked out of alignment by mowers and kids, nozzles clog, and a single stuck head can leave a dry stripe you'll notice in August. If you'd rather not think about it, we offer seasonal start-up, mid-summer checks, and fall winterization across our service area.