No Need To Wet Your Plants
At the end of the day, under-watering your lawn is actually less harmful than over-watering. Most grass types are quite resilient to under-watering.
Your grass will certainly let you know when it needs watering if its been too long.
The results from watering when your grass has turned dull green or even brown are quite quick, versus the length of time it can take to fully treat rot or disease in an over-watered lawn.
When You Have Shorter Grass
If you or your lawn care provider keep your grass cut short, it will need to be watered more often than grass thats kept slightly longer.
Longer grass can retain moisture for longer than short grass. The ground on a shorter grass lawn is more exposed to the elements than on a long grass lawn. This means that it cannot offer the shade needed to keep the ground cooler and keep in the moisture from the hot sun.
Ignoring Your Grass Needs
Taking a lawns age into consideration is important. A fully-grown lawn can handle a more powerful spray, whereas newly seeded lawns need a gentler touch. If you only have a small area of newly planted seeds, a Stationary Square Sprinkler works well for gentle spot-watering, while an Adjustable Length Wind-Resistant Rectangular Sprinkler can cover a bigger area.
For a sprinkler that will grow along with the grass, try the Circular Sprinkler Spike with on/off switch. The diffuser pin allows for a customized force of spray, from a steady shower for new grass to a more powerful stream for mature lawns.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Mold From Plastic Outdoor Furniture
How To Make Sure You Got It Right
When you first change the watering routine, you must inspect the soil about 15 minutes apart. This will help you determine how much water is getting soaked and how long it is taking to do so. You can also get the screwdriver out and see how long it took for the water to reach 6 inches of depth.
Now, if you are using sprinklers, you can do the same by measuring against their flow rate. The manufacturer will be able to help you with this. The formula for that is:
Time to run sprinkler = / flow rate
You can also place small tuna cans in the lawn to check the time it takes for an inch of water to gather in the can. This is because the coverage differs depending on the sprinkler.
Watering Lawns In Hot & Dry Seasons
In hot and dry weather, a lawn may be best served with more frequent waterings. Above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, grass will often fall dormant anyways. You might be able to prevent that if you can keep your turf cool with sprinklers a few times a week. If your grass is browning, dont worry. Your grass is not dead and should turn right back to green when it cools down after watering.
No matter the season, it is best to water in the morning before 10am to ensure that your lawn has enough time to absorb that moisture without the sun and heat evaporating it. Alternatively, but still less ideal, watering at dusk is another option that allows the moisture to soak in without lingering too long and potentially allowing mold to grow and kill your lawn.
Read Also: Thistledown Weed Killer
Am I Watering My Lawn Too Much
To calculate how much water your lawn is actually receiving, put several containers with straight sides on the ground around the yard . Then use a ruler to measure the depth of the water in the container. You may be surprised at how long it takes to collect that much water. Move hose-fed sprinklers after collecting 1 to 1 ½ inches of water.
If you ever have questions regarding watering your lawn, or if you’re worried your lawn may need professional care, feel free to call the Nutri-Green lawn care professionals at ! Our 15 years of experience providing in Oklahoma proves we know how to take care of your lawn!
How Often Should You Water Your Lawn
Everything living requires hydration to survive, including your lawn. You need to water your lawn to keep it healthy and strong, but it can be difficult to gauge how often you should be watering it and how much water your lawn actually needs.
The weather is always changing, but weve reached a time of year where the precipitation is few and far between, so watering your lawn becomes especially important. You also want to make sure you do so efficiently, in case we run into a stretch with no rain and receive some water-use restrictions from the government.
So, to learn how frequently you should water your lawn, you need to consider several factors.
We want to ensure your lawn gets the best care possible, so if you have any other questions or concerns about how to water your lawn, our team of professionals would be happy to assist you.
We offer services to keep your lawn healthy and thriving through the summer season, so call us today to book a consultation with one of our experts and get started on your summer lawn care.
Service Areas
OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
Read Also: How To Fix A Yard Full Of Weeds
Your Guide To Summer Lawn Care In New Jersey
New Jersey is a beautiful state, and we take pride keeping it that way. At Lawn Tech, we create and maintain beautiful lawns all across Hunterdon, Somerset, Morris and Warren Counties in New Jersey, and we do that by addressing the individual needs of each lawn. It is no secret that summer in New Jersey can be hot and be devastating to your lawn. That is why we wanted to give some tips on how to keep your lawn healthy and green while also saving you time and energy.
Conserve When You Can
Both for the health of your lawn, and your water bill, weve got some on how to conserve water when watering your lawn. Keep automatic sprinkler systems maintained and properly set. A broken sprinkler head that shoots a stream of water into the street doesnt do anyone any good, nor does one that runs during a rainstorm. Additionally, trees can be damaged from lawn watering that leaves their trunks wet over time or does not allow their roots to stretch out and grow between waterings.
Recommended Reading: Average Cost Of Astroturf
Watering Based On Types Of Lawns
The final and perhaps the most important trick when it comes to watering a lawn is the type of lawn itself. You must take the weather and your zone into account. But you will have to focus on the kind of grass you are about to grow or are already growing.
Watering and overall care differ from one type of lawn to the other. This will determine the schedule you need to draw so that your lawn is well maintained throughout the year.
There are essentially two types of grass.
How To Tell If Your Lawn Has Been Watered Enough
There are some simple tricks that will determine if a lawn is receiving enough water. First, does it look healthy? If it looks healthy, then it probably is which means stick to what you are doing. Another way to determine if your lawn needs to be watered is to submerge a screwdriver into the grass. If it easily sinks 6 to 7 inches, then your lawn is receiving an adequate amount of water each week. If not, it is probably time to make a change to your watering routine.
Be ready for changing weather and be aware of when a lawn needs more feeding and fertilizing. Give lawns an organic fertilizer and compost in fall and spring and cut back on watering when dry days turn to rainy ones.
If you see mushrooms growing in your grass, it is most likely due to overwatering. The best next step is to decrease the amount of watering until the mushrooms are gone.
Don’t Miss: How To Stop Creeping Charlie
How Often Should You Water Your Grass In Utah
How Much Water?
Your grass should ideally receive at least an inch of water or more all year long whether it’s from rain or from your sprinkler system in Salt Lake City. An inch allows the water to soak to a depth of 6 to 8 inches for optimal growing conditions. If you aren’t sure how much an inch is, take a few empty tuna cans and place them in various spots on the lawn. It should take an average of about 30 minutes for your sprinkler system to deliver an inch of water.
Time of Day to Water
The time of day that you water your grass in Salt Lake City matters. It’s ideal to water in the morning, preferably before 10 a.m., because it’s cooler and the roots have more time to absorb the water before the sun evaporates it. If you can’t get it done in the morning, try not to water any later than 6 p.m. because you want the blades of grass to dry before night comes. If your lawn is regularly wet at night, you’ll drastically increase the chances of disease or fungus.
How Often Should I Water?
It depends. If it’s been a rainy week, you might not need to water your lawn at all and can thank nature for taking care of your lawn. If it’s been a few days of sunny skies, your lawn might need a bit more water than usual. You should aim to give your lawn a deep watering two or three times a week instead of watering every day. Daily watering creates a shallow root system which dries quickly and is weak. Your lawn will be stronger and retain water longer with a deep root system.
Home Lawn Watering Guide
Reviewed by Brad S. FresenburgDivision of Plant Sciences
As much as 80 percent of the water used around the home during summer is used outside. Watering the lawn is the main outside water use. During dry summers, local water authorities may cut off water for outside use or only allow watering on certain days. Both measures are necessary and effective means of reducing water use and relieving the strain on city water supplies.
To avoid severe loss of turfgrass and to conserve water, homeowners should manage their lawns each year in anticipation of water restrictions.
This guide describes that will reduce the need for irrigation while improving the competitiveness and appearance of your lawn.
You May Like: Ecoscraps Slow Release Fertilizer Vs Milorganite
What Is A Good Time To Water The Lawn
As a rule of thumb, watering the lawn early in the morning is the best option. Experts recommend that you do this between 5 and 10 am. This is because you get there before the day gets hot because that is when a lot of evaporation takes place.
So, you want to give the grass a little something to feed on before the sun gets to them. This is also a good idea because later in the day the wind interferes with the pattern of your sprinklers which makes them inefficient.
You could neglect this advice and water your grass at night, but then you would be opening the doors to mildew and fungi. This happens because the grass stays moist for too long at night.
This is particularly true after mowing the lawn because the terrain is vulnerable after getting chopped by a blade. Yes, plants have those feelings too. Thats why you must give them a day to get over the trauma and then feed them some water.
When And How Much To Water The Lawn
Its one of the most common questions we get. How often and how long should I water my lawn?
The short answer is to water in the morning at least a half inch twice a week, but to keep your grass healthy, you need to know more. The following guidelines will help you decide whats right for your lawn.
You May Like: What Does 32-0-4 Fertilizer Mean
How Often Should I Water My Lawn
The simple answer is only water your lawn when it needs it. But we all know determining that is easier said than done! As much as possible, tailor your watering routine to fit the needs of each area of your lawn. Sunny spots will need to be watered more often than shaded areas. An automated sprinkler system that is not adjusted to water areas according to their needs, or the weather conditions can waste water, and leave grass vulnerable to disease and damageespecially if there are areas of standing water.
Audit Your Sprinkler System
More than 50 percent of an average households annual water consumption is from watering outside. Auditing your sprinkler system, and fine-tuning its performance, can help save water. Thoroughly check your system each spring when you first turn it on. After each mowing, check to make sure sprinkler heads havent been broken or knocked out of alignment.
Don’t Miss: Ant Hills In My Lawn
How Often Should I Water The Turf In Spring And Summer
Freshly laid turf needs more routine watering in the warmer months of October and March, due to the increased temperature and reduced rainfall.
Therefore, during the first two to three weeks of laying your new turf, you may need to water it more than once a day. Dont water the turf during the day, when the weather is hot. Doing so will cause the water to evaporate too quickly, and not reach the roots of the soil.
Instead, get into the habit of watering the lawn early in the morning, then late in the evening, when the temperature is lower and more manageable.
Watering And Plant Needs
Some plants need regular watering, others less. How you water new plants affects the root development, which affects how much water they will consume in the future.
Always read the plant tag to know what each plant specifically needs depending on their location requirement, and put the right plant in the right place .
Avoid planting in hot, dry weather as this easily stresses plants and can place highly demands on watering needs.
Select plants appropriate for your growing zone native and drought-tolerant plant species will require less water. See our list of recommended annuals and perennials, and trees and shrubs.
You May Like: How To Use Bioadvanced Fungus Control For Lawns
How Can You Tell If Youve Watered Your Lawn Enough
The average lawn needs at least 1 inch of water to 1.5 inches of water per week. This should be continued throughout the year. Even lawns in winter need water as you cant always guarantee that the rainy weather will give them enough.
To be able to figure out if it has enough water, you should get a rain gauge. This will show you just how much water the grass is getting. If using a sprinkler system, make sure that the water from the sprinkler is going into the rain gauge. This will allow you to measure the amount of water that the grass is getting.
The best thing for your lawn would be to water it twice per week, but water it lots, making sure it has 1 inch of water. By watering it a little every day, the grass roots will be shallow, making it difficult for the root system to support the grass. It can also lead to fungus growth in the lawn.
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.
Read Also: Overseeder Vs Aerator
When Watering A Warm
- Zoysia, St. Augustine, bermuda and centipede grasses develop deep root systems, making them better able to withstand drought.
- In general, warm-season grass types require less water than cool-season grasses. Where you live determines how frequently you need to water because of differences in rainfall and summer weather conditions. Grass requires the most water in conditions of heat, drought, low humidity, and high winds.The type of soil you have also plays a part: Clay soil holds water longer and can be watered less frequently than sandy soil, which drains very quickly .
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.
