When Should I Water The Lawn

How Much Water To Use

When watering an established lawn, its typically recommended to water until the top 6-8 inches of soil is wet. Be sure not to overwater your lawn. Most lawns need 1 inch of water per week, either from rain or watering, to soak the soil 6-8 inches deep. The inch of water can either be applied during a single watering or divided into two 12-inch waterings during the week.

Misconception #: I Dont Have To Water My Lawn

One of the most common misconceptions we hear about our customers lawns is the misbelief that there is no reason to water it on your own. A lot of people in the Allentown, Lansdale, PA or surrounding areas think that rain will naturally provide a lawn with what it needs.

But what about a dry spell? While your lawn can survive a couple weeks of drought, it will eventually thin the turf and create an ideal environment for weeds to invade. If you want a healthy lawn, you will definitely need to water it from time to time.

Is Watering Your Lawn A Waste Of Water

If youre a lawn-proud homeowner, you may never see watering your lawns as a waste of water. However, there will be times when its frowned upon to water your lawns when resources are scarce, or droughts are on the horizon.

Before you set up a lawn-watering schedule, check with your local council regarding water shortages. During the summer months, some councils impose water restrictions to ensure everyone has access to the water they need for daily living. As a result, the use of water irrigation systems and sprinkles are sometimes prohibited.

If you have a rain barrel and have harvested your own rainwater, you may be able to attach a hose and connect it to a drip/soaker hose or sprinkler to ensure your lawns dont suffer over the drier months of the year.

You May Like: Renting Tools From Lowes

Why Fall Watering Is Important

If your type of grass is a cool-season grass, then fall is an important growth period for your lawn. Grass does keep growing for a good part of the fall, even if you don’t see as much growth on top. Instead, much of the growth occurs underground in the root system. This is crucial to build a solid foundation for your lawn and to help it repair any damage that occurred over the summertime.

Don’t deprive it of irrigation during this critical time. An adequate water supply for grass roots is essential for proper nutrient uptake during growth periods. If your lawn isn’t sufficiently absorbing nutrients, it won’t achieve optimal health and might not survive a harsh winter.

How Often Should I Water My Lawn And The Best Time To Water Your Lawn

March 3, 2021 by William Moore

You need to water your lawn once a week with about 1 to 1 ½ inch of water, all year round and even in the winter. For deep watering, youd have to water the lawn about 2-3 times weekly but not daily. Also, water the lawn as early in the morning as possible, whenever possible. Keep in mind that you can tell how well watered your lawn is by driving down a 6 screwdriver if the screwdriver doesnt go through the lawn easily, then you arent watering your lawn enough.

Watering the lawn too much can be too harmful to your lawn, in the same way, that little watering can be, which is why you have to find a balance, as delicate as it may be.

The frequency at which you water your lawn depends on different factors, which is why this is also one of the most elusive questions for anyone trying to tend to a healthy lawn.

An overall guiding principle when it comes to watering your lawn includes making sure that you do it at the right time of day and also throughout the week, depending on the type of grass on your lawn.

That said, watering your lawn appropriately is largely dependent on how well you trust your senses because when its all said and done, there is no specific formula on watering, nothing written on stone.

For most grasses, its safe to water them twice each week.

Recommended Reading: How Much Should I Charge For Yard Work

Considering The Role Of Salt In Soil And Water

In areas of the state where water is high in salts, plant a salt-tolerant grass species, such as Seashore Paspalum, bermudagrass, or Zoysia. Water deeply but only occasionally so salt does not accumulate in the soil. High levels of sodium damage soil quality and affect the ability of water to filter through the soil. Also, salt can exacerbate the effect of drought on turfgrass. Contact your county Extension agent for more information.

Signs That Your Lawn Needs Watering

The rules regarding how the time of day affects whether you should water after mowing or not are fairly straightforward to follow. But how do you tell if your lawn is dried out and in need of water?In addition to the footprint check that we described earlier, there are a couple of other quick tests that you can do to check whether your lawn is in need of water or not.

• Do You See Gaps? Your lawn is rather like a sponge. When the soil is dry, it actually shrinks. And this is a definite indicator that it needs watering. How do you spot this? Well, you need to walk around the edges of your lawn, looking for a gap between the edge of your patio, pathways or driveway and your lawn. Thats a sign that the soil has contracted and needs water. If well hydrated, these gaps wont be there.
• The Screwdriver Test Thisll only take a minute. Grab a screwdriver , kneel down on your lawn and try and push it into the ground. If its easy to do, then you probably dont need to water the lawn. But if its challenging to push the screwdriver down or you cant do it at all, its a sure sign that your lawn is wayyyyy too dry and needs a good watering ASAP.

Don’t Miss: Ace Hardware Push Mowers

How Often And How Long Should I Water My Lawn

It takes up to 30 minutes to get half an inch of water. To get an inch of watering per day, you need to water 3 times per week. It depends on the type of grass you have and how often you need to water it.

For example, if your grass is a Bermuda grass, you should water twice a week. If its a grass that grows in the middle of the lawn, it should only need water once a month.

How Long Should I Water The Lawn

You should water your lawn once or twice a week, giving your grass 1 to 1.5 inches of water each time. The precise number of minutes for each watering will vary from lawn to lawn, depending on factors like the size of your lawn, the type of sprinkler you have, and its settings.

Here are a few methods for finding the number of minutes you should water your lawn.

• Do a can test: Tuna cans are 1 inch tall, and work best for this method. Empty one out, and set it in an area that your sprinkler hits. Turn your sprinkler on, and check the can periodically to see how long it takes to get ½ of an inch of water in there. You can use that to find how many minutes you need to water either once or twice a week.
• Break it down mathematically: Your sprinkler system will have a designated flow rate of gallons per minute, which you can find out from the manufacturer. To find out the number of minutes to run your sprinkler, multiply your lawns square footage by 0.62 gallonswhich is 1 inch of water per square footthen divide that total by the sprinkler flow rate.
• Look at a flow timer: Youll need a timer that measures flow in hundreds of gallons. Multiply the square footage of your lawn by 0.62 gallons, and that will tell you how many gallons you need to give your lawn the water it needs.

You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Ferns In Yard

Should I Water My Lawn During Winter

Should I water my lawn during winter? This is one of the most common questions lawn owners find themselves wondering when temperatures fall. The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Watering grass even during colder seasons is necessary.

Even when the grass is dormant, the roots still need water to stay hydrated during the colder months. Plants cannot survive periods of drought without water. Your grass may look lush and green, but looks can be deceiving. A sudden drop in temperature can push your lawn grass to its limit.

Rainwater alone isnt enough to keep a lawn well-hydrated and healthy. You should water it periodically. When your lawn is well-hydrated, the grass is able to fight damage caused by cold weather.

Also, because water releases heat more slowly than plant tissues, the blades are able to retain heat longer than if they were dehydrated.

Landscape contractors in Sonoma County recommend watering a day or two before the temperature drops to allow the roots to absorb more water. The best time of the day to water your lawn is early morning when air temperatures are lower, and there is dew on the ground.

If you water at night, the roots will not get enough time to absorb moisture. When water does not evaporate, it stays on the blades longer, promoting fungal growth.

When you water in the morning, the roots get more time to absorb water. Watering in the morning also allows some evaporation to clean off from the blades.

When Is The Best Time Of Year To Water Your Lawn

Okay, so lets say that you got through the cooler winter months without any watering. Congratulations! You know you will have to start up again at some point, though. As the weather starts to get warmer, you find yourself asking the question, When is the right time?

Should you just go back to your warm weather schedule at the beginning of spring? Do you wait until the grass begins growing again and you have to start cutting it?

While you dont want to wait until your lawn starts looking sickly and brown, most people actually misjudge and begin watering too early in the year.

So how do you know when to start back up with watering your lawn?

Check the weather. The most basic rule is that you do not need to worry about watering your lawn until the weather is hot and dry.

In other words, if youre getting a good amount of spring rain, you can wait. If you touch your lawn in the morning and your fingers get wet with dew, you can wait.

To keep your lawn as healthy and resilient as possible, the best thing that you can do for it is to wait to start watering until it really, truly needs it. A little bit of stress should actually cause your roots to grow deeper as they seek out water, making them stronger.

You May Like: Lowes Rent Aerator

Watering Different Types Of Lawns

During the first year of your lawns growth, whether it’s a newly seeded, sodded, sprigged, or plugged lawn, don’t rely solely on Mother Nature to do the watering. Additional irrigation should always be provided.

When watering a newly seeded lawn, the key is to keep the top inch of soil consistently moist but not soggy. You will likely need to mist the seeded area once or twice a day . Once the seeds start to germinate, continue to keep the top 2 inches of soil moist until the new grass reaches a mowing height of around 3 inches. After that, begin to cut back watering to twice per week and soak the soil deeper, about 6-8 inches, to encourage the grass roots to grow down deep into the soil.

Do You Need To Water Your Lawn After Fertilizing It When Grasscycling

Another, more natural, type of fertilizing is grasscycling. Grasscycling is when you leave grass trimmings where they are as you mow your lawn.

Grasscycling is a naturally occurring fertilizer that doesnt require additional steps. You dont have to water your lawn after grasscycling, as you can simply leave the grass clippings where they are instead of raking them up.

Grasscycling can be both a cost-effective and successful fertilizer and can make up 25% of your lawns overall fertilization needs. Grass clippings are especially rich in nitrogen and act as a slow-release fertilizer for your lawn.

Best of all, theres no chance your grass will get fertilizer burn.

Don’t Miss: Smallest Riding Lawn Mower Available

Do I Need A Lawn Sprinkler In The Fall

Creating the perfect backyard with beautiful green grass is an ongoing dream for many homeowners a dream that causes homeowners to spring into action with consistent lawn care, including mowing, fertilizing, weeding, and setting lawn sprinkler timers to water the grass. As we head into cooler fall months, we often get asked if watering grass is necessary as the temperatures drop.

It can be difficult to figure out how much water a lawn needs from season to season. Just like plants need water year-round to survive and grow, so does your lawn. Here are six lawn sprinkler tips for watering the grass during fall.

When Is The Best Time To Water Your Lawn

The best time to water lawn is in the early morning. The 2nd best time is RIGHT NOW! Watering in the morning is best because this allows the water to soak deep into the soil and allows the leaves of the grass plant to dry before the water evaporates as it gets warmer in the day. If you cant water in the morning, evenings are OK, just try to do it earlier! .

Don’t Miss: Spreading Peat Moss On Lawn

What Does Overwatered Lawn Look Like

Signs of Overwatering the Lawn Dying patches of grass can also signal overwatering issues. Other symptoms include an abundance of weeds like crabgrass and nutsedge, thatch and fungal growth like mushrooms. Runoff after irrigation is another sign, as well as yellowing grass.

Abc Can Ensure Your Lawn Is Always Healthy And Green

Keeping your lawn appropriately watered and vibrant isnt always as easy as it sounds, especially if you dont have a good sprinkler system or if yours isnt working properly. If you want to upgrade or repair your system to help maintain your lawn, do not hesitate to turn to the experts at ABC Home & Commercial Services. Our knowledgeable lawn and sprinkler technicians can advise you on the type of watering and sprinkler system that is best for your soil and even help you program it properly so you never have to worry. Good lawns require work, but you can still make that work a little bit easier with the right advice and the right tools.

Also Check: How Often Does Trugreen Come Out

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.

What To Do If Its Raining Right Now

If its currently raining, you can still fertilize your lawn as long as the rainfall is very minimal. In fact, you want to apply fertilizer after a heavy watering to prepare it to absorb the fertilizer.

But you must be able to apply the fertilizer to your lawn without it getting wet and clumping together. If you can apply the fertilizer without issue, its OK to do so in light rain, as it saves you the trouble of having to rinse your lawn after you finish applying the fertilizer.

Use caution when its raining, however, as too much rain can quickly wash away your fertilizer, resulting in wasted time and product, as well as adverse environmental implications.

You should be especially cautious of the rain when fertilizing grassy hills, where theres a higher risk of the fertilizer washing away. If youre confident that theres no chance of heavy rainfall within 24 hours of applying your fertilizer, go ahead and keep your timeline.

If, however, youre concerned that heavy rain may occur within 24 hours of applying fertilizer, wait until after the rain passes so the fertilizer will have enough time to break down and soak into the soil before being watered in.

Also Check: Are Trugreen Chemicals Safe For Pets