How Much Water Per Week For Lawn

Watering At The Wrong Time

To water well, timing is everything. Water in the early morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Midday watering leads to wasteful evaporation, while nighttime watering causes droplets to cling to grass overnight, increasing the chance of lawn diseases.

A Dual Outlet Electronic Water Timer will prove handy for those mornings you are away or want to sleep in. Just program the start time, frequency and duration of watering, and let the timer take care of the rest. The dual outlets make it easy to hook up two hoses at once and program separate schedules for different parts of the yard. We suggest attaching a Flexogen Super Duty Hose, as it easily curves around the yard without kinking and connects to a spigot without leaking saving water and money.

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Watering During The Summer Months

Depending on where you live, you may not need to water your lawn during the spring. The soil beneath the grass is often saturated with water from snowmelt, and spring rain will provide even more water.

However, as temperatures rise in May and June, you should slowly start watering your lawn more thoroughly and more frequently.

Start with watering once a week for about twenty minutes at a time, applying roughly half an inch of water to the grass. As temperatures exceed 80 degrees, you may need to start watering every three days for thirty to forty minutes at a time, or one to two inches of water each time.

The most common turf species in Utah and the broader Intermountain West is Kentucky Bluegrass, which needs about two inches of water per week in the summer.

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How Long To Water Your Lawn

Once your lawn is sown, the grass will start to germinate and then grow. In order to grow well, it needs several elements including oxygen, sun, but also and mainly water. Water is essential for a healthy green lawn. Watering your lawn well is one of the most important tasks to maintain your garden, and if you don’t do it properly, your lawn may turn yellow, welcome weeds, or become more vulnerable to diseases. Here is a complete guide to help you keep a healthy lawn.

The Best Time To Water Your Lawn

If you notice that your lawn has a grayish tint or appears to have a dull green color, this is a sign that it needs water. During certain times of the year, water is unnecessary because there is enough precipitation to provide the lawn with all the water it needs. However, at other times drought and heat make regular watering essential.

Depending on where you live, you generally won’t need to water your lawn until June. In general, you can start watering it from late spring through early fall.

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Let Sleeping Lawns Lie

If you havent been watering your lawn, chances are the grass has already turned brown. Once that happens, the lawn has gone dormant and its not a good idea to try to green it up again. It would take at least two weeks of watering every night to bring it back to active growth and start the greening process.

Normally, it wont do any harm to let your grass remain dormant until fall by waiting to water and fertilize until the grass begins greening back up in mid-to-late September. This year could be an exception, however. If it remains as unusually hot and dry as some forecasters are predicting, the grass could literally die of thirst. If we dont get any significant rain this summer, water your lawn at least once per month during July and August. You dont want to water so much that you bring the grass out of dormancy. Instead, water only once per month and apply about 1 inch of water each time. That wont be enough to cause the grass to break dormancy, but will provide enough moisture to keep your lawn alive.

Watering once a month is also advisable if you have trees growing in a lawn that was allowed to go dormant. Trees remain actively growing in the heat of summer and can be harmed if the soil is allowed to become bone dry. Usually watering once per month is enough to provide adequate moisture to keep the trees healthy and better prepared to withstand winter conditions.

How Do I Know If My Grass Has Enough Water

There are a few ways you can tell if youve given your lawn enough to drink:

• Check the soil every 15 minutes during your first watering to see how long it takes to get soaked. Use a shovel or screwdriver to get a measurement, and when youve determined the water has gone six inches deep, note the time. Thats how long it should take in the future.
• If you have a sprinkler system, find out its flow rate from the manufacturer. Multiply the square footage of your lawn by 0.62 gallons then divide that figure by the flow rate. The result will tell you how many minutes to run your sprinkler.
• Place empty tuna cans around the lawn and measure how long it takes for the sprinkler to fill each can with an inch of water. The sprinkler coverage will vary, so use the average time it takes to fill the cans.

If youre not sure of the best way to water your lawn, turn to Realty Landscaping. Our PA landscape construction experts have spent years helping homeowners and business owners around the Philadelphia area keep their lawns looking green.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can give you a healthy lawn this summer.

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Misconception #: Watering My Lawn By Hand Is The Best Method

Watering your lawn by hand can be deceiving. It seems like youre getting ample water everywhere but you may actually be causing it to pool in certain areas or even run off. Oftentimes a lawn that is watered solely by hand is not receiving as much as you think.

The best method to water your lawn is to use sprinklers that mimic slow, soaking rain. Hand watering works fine for very small patches of grass where youve planted new grass seed or for container plants but when it comes to your lawn as a whole, stick to sprinklers for the best results.

Smart Sprinkler System Controller

Add a smart irrigation controller, which acts like a thermostat for your sprinkler system by telling it when to turn on and off, to save water. Denver Water offers rebates for WaterSense-labeled controllers.

• During irrigation season, be aware that smart irrigation controllers must not operate between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. In rare conditions, the controllers may operate more than three days a week.

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Signs Youve Used Too Much Water

Whether watering with a hose or sprinkler, you dont want to get to the point of seeing water running down the street or sidewalk. This either means youre watering too much, or the soil is too compact to absorb it fast enough. Try aerating your lawn to see if it helps the problem. If that doesnt work, adjust your watering schedule for shorter, more frequent showers to allow the water to absorb.

For more tips on the how much to water your lawn, contact the specialists at Cardinal Lawns.

Keep These Tips In Mind When Watering A Cool

• Tall fescue has a deep root system and the highest drought tolerance of all the cool-season grass types.
• Lawns that are a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues will go dormant during drought if not watered, but will revive when rain returns.

There are tons of ways to water your lawn, from sprinklers to smart watering solutions. Each has their own sets of benefits, so choose the solution that works best for you and your lawn. Below are a few methods to consider.

Pulsating sprinklers : These shoot water horizontally at a high velocity so the water isnt affected by wind.

Hose-end sprinklers: Great for small- to medium-size lawns. There are many different types, so you can choose the one that fits your lawn best.

In-ground sprinklers: These can deliver water in the most efficient pattern. Choose sprinklers that are low to the ground and use a horizontal spray pattern for best results.

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How Often To Water Your Lawn In Summer

So, whats the best interval on how often to water your lawn in summer? Lawns dry up during hot summer months. Thus, you need to water them up to three times per week, especially if it hasnt rained recently. Water up to one inch deep per week during watering sessions.

Some key signs your lawn needs a drink include it having gray and faded areas and leaving lasting footprints after walking on it. When blades dont count on enough moisture, they arent able to get back into shape. As a result, your yard has a weakened look.

Also, the amount of water per week your lawn needs can come from both rainfall and irrigation systems. In other words, if it rained the day you were going to water it, then you dont need to worry about irrigation for that day.

Do You Need To Worry About Water Runoff

Watch for runoff during the watering period. It is very possible that your lawn will not be able to soak up the water as fast as your sprinkler is putting it on the lawn. If this occurs shut off the sprinkler for an hour and then turn it on again. If you have an automatic system, have it cycle through the stations again.

Also, remember that sloped areas will have more tendencies for runoff. The best times to water your lawn is in the early morning or early evening when there is generally less wind and heat. The least desirable times are in the heat of the afternoon, when water evaporates too quickly and very late in the evening, which can cause the lawn to stay wet all night. This may encourage disease development.

As each lawn area is unique, there are no formulas or automatics for determining a watering schedule. Keep in mind that fenced lawn areas and shaded turf generally requires less water than do lawns in full sun. The best schedules are those determined by observing the appearance of your lawn.

Lawns that are watered sufficiently generally are healthy and uniform in color and growth. Whereas lawns that are under-watered will typically be uneven, with areas of poor or little growth. Often a poorly designed irrigation system or plugged or damaged sprinkler heads causes this condition. These problems are frequently identified when a can test is conducted.

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How Much Water Does Your Lawn Really Need

Summer is creeping around the corner, and youre looking forward to adding some new landscaping elements to your yard: a new tree, and maybe some new shrubs and flowers. As you prep to move into the summer season, you find yourself asking, how much water does my lawn actually need? There are a few ways to answer this question, and today we dive into those options.

Lawn Watering in General

The ideal amount of water for a lawn truly depends on a number of factors, so there is no perfect number, but there are some general best practices that everyone can follow. First, its recommended during one week to water your lawn between one and one and a half inches worth of water. This is a cumulative number, so if there are three thunderstorms in one week, your irrigation system problem wont need to contribute.

Its also recommended to water your lawn a few times per week, but not necessarily every single day. A lawn that is watered a few minutes each day will develop shallow roots, which ultimately isnt the healthiest lawn. If you water your lawn a little more infrequently, but with more water, it gives the water the opportunity to reach further into the soil and establish strong, deep roots, the cornerstone of a healthy lawn.

Lawn Watering Specifics

There are a number of characteristics of a lawn that impact the ideal amount of water it should be receiving.

So How Much Should I Be Watering My Lawn Lets Talk About Watering Your Lawn In The Pacific Northwest And What It Really Means

Most lawns need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. But what is that even mean? How can you tell? This is typically about 20 to 30 minutes a couple of times a week. But, it also depends on the pressure of your sprinkler and how you are watering.

You might see brown patches pop up and think that you naturally should start watering more. But usually when you see Brown, its already too late. The nutrients have died out in the blade and in the root system and while the grass is not necessarily dead forever, it will take a lot more to get it to come back. Its easier to get a jump on it before it turns brown.

Various factors depend on the type of watering youll need to do including the grass type, the season, the sprinkler system, and the weather. First up determine your lawns weekly watering needs. Specific grass in the time of year can also affect how much you water.

The season also varies depending on how much water your lawn needs. Obviously, in the fall, spring, and winter months, youll be getting a lot of water because we live in the Pacific Northwest and those cool seasons help the grass to grow. But in the hot summer months, you need to be on top of it before you notice it starts turning brown.

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The Simplest Way To Regulate Lawn Watering

The chart below is a starting point for the number of minutes to water each sprinkler zone on the days you determine watering is needed. These times are averages. Adjust your watering minutes based on rainfall, type of grass or plants, sunny or shady locations and other characteristics.

Watering two days a week should be sufficient during most of the summer. If needed, water a third day during extreme heat or dry periods. Water trees and shrubs as needed, but not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Shrubs and perennials need half as much water as lawns.

There are no assigned watering days, but never water a zone more than three days a week.

*These times are based on a sprinkler system running at an efficient level. Watering is not allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

When To Water The Lawn

If you find your lawn has taken on a grayish cast or appears to be dull green, its telling you that it needs water. You can also check your lawn by walking on it: If your footprints dont disappear quickly, its because the grass blades dont have the needed moisture to spring back. While it may seem like you can head out to water your lawn anytime during the day, your lawn actually needs more specific care. Watering in the morning is the best time for your lawn its cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate. If you must water in the evening, try between 4 and 6 p.m. which should give the grass blades time to dry before nightfall. The later you water, the greater chance of disease becoming prevalent in your lawn. Its worth noting, though, that you dont necessarily have to water your lawn. Lawns are resilient. Established and properly cared-for lawns can survive weeks without water by going dormant , then recover once the rain returns.

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Why Is Proper Watering Important

Most living things require water to thrive, and your grass is no exception. Proper lawn watering keeps your lawn looking lush, promotes a healthy roots system, and even helps reduce the number of weeds in your lawn. With a few basic tips, you can keep your lawn watered well and avoid pitfalls from over or under-doing it.

Tips For Responsibly Watering Your Lawn This Summer

There are simple ways you can save water this summer. Some of it requires a change of thinking. For example, if your region is prone to drought, you may need to give up the idea of a perfect evergreen lawn as it wont hold up in your region of the country in those extremes.

Likewise, if you have sandy soil thats unable to hold water, you should add soil amendments to make it loamier. Loamy soil is like the forest floordark, rich, and able to store water underground.

Here are those 12 tips to help you save water and keep your lawn alive:

So, add soil amendments, such as compost, to loosen up the soil and help its absorption rate. Brinlys tow-behind carts help you tote your soil amendments to your lawn for a makeover. Use our tow or push spreaders to broadcast the amendments and fertilizers throughout your yard.

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