Watering a lawn is easy, right? Wrong! While it might seem straightforward enough, effective lawn watering isn't just a case of running your automatic lawn sprinkler system when you feel like it or a quick blast of the hose whenever you remember.
Proper watering is the key to a happy, healthy lawn. If you want your grass to thrive, that means taking the time to understand when and how to water your lawn.
Want to know how to ensure your grass is as lush and green as possible? Keep reading to discover our top tips for watering a lawn.
Late-night lawn watering can lead to fungal growth, while watering your lawn in the midday heat means that the water evaporates before the grass roots can absorb it. To avoid both these scenarios, aim to water your lawn before 10 am in the morning when it's cooler and less windy. If that's not possible, watering a lawn in summer between 4 and 6 pm will give the blades time to dry before the sun sets.
The aim of lawn watering is to get the top six to eight inches of soil wet. To reach these depths, most lawns need around 1.5 inches of water per week across two or three watering sessions.
As for how long you need to water each time, you can check this during your first session. Stick a screwdriver into the soil every 15 minutes to measure how deep the water has moved. Once it reaches six inches, you've found your lawn's sweet spot. Or, if you have a lawn sprinkler system, multiply the square footage of your lawn by 0.62 gallons then divide by the lawn sprinkler flow rate. This will tell you how many minutes to run your sprinklers.
While the lawn watering tips above offer a good guide, different lawns and different parts of the same lawn can have different watering needs. For example, areas of lawn shaded by trees often need less water while south-facing slopes might need more. Make a note of this as you water so that you can adjust your lawn sprinkler or tailor your watering plan as necessary.
Watering your lawn too often can weaken the root system. You might even start to see mushrooms cropping up between your blades if you really overdo the lawn watering. Instead of watering your lawn every day, stick to two or three times a week in the summer and once or twice a week during the cooler months.
Most people know that watering a lawn in summer is a must, but what about when fall arrives?
The grass may not be growing as fast, but watering throughout the fall helps your lawn recover from the stresses of summer and gain strength for the coming cold weather. What's more, if you plan on fertilizing your lawn before the winter, watering helps the fertilizer soak into the ground.
Watering a lawn effectively means working with nature, the climate, and your chosen watering system.
But, the good news is, once you have your schedule figured out, your grass will thrive, year in, year out.
Looking for more lawn watering tips? In need of equipment to help keep your lawn looking its best? We got you covered! Feel free to contact us here at the Sprinkler System Store today!
