You have a delicate balance when watering a lawn. You have to
find the sweet spot between too little water and too much water. The grass will
wilt and die with the former, while with the latter, it becomes oversaturated
and dies.
Furthermore, you have to understand the seasons and
consider your water usage to not drive the water bill up.
The question then is how to water your lawn the right way.
Below are expert tips for a hydrated lawn.
1. Understand Your Grass Needs
First, you have to have grass suitable to your local
climate. Local grasses need less supplemental water as they are in sync with
the environment.
For example, some cool weather grasses lose more water than
their warm-weather counterparts. This is because they have more prominent
pores. As such, they cannot thrive in warmer areas, and watering them will be a
chore.
Beyond growing grasses for your local climate, invest in
grass that conserves water. With these, you can enjoy a lush lawn with less
watering and maintenance.
2. Water in the Morning
Water your lawn during cooler temperatures, curbing evaporation.
With this in mind, water in the morning than in the evening.
Watering before 10
a.m.
allows the water to seep deeper into the soil while reducing the
stress on the grass during the hotter parts of the day.
Watering past 12 pm can lead to wasteful evaporation, and
you will spend more water than you need. Finally, watering at night may lead to
turf diseases due to water droplets that cling to the grass. If you must water
in the evening, do it between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., as the grass blades will have
enough time to dry before nightfall.
3. Water With One Inch of Water
You need to soak the soil up to six inches deep to keep
your lawn in pristine condition. One inch of water per week is enough for this,
depending on the climate. Water will percolate further in sandy soils than in
clay, but one inch of water will still suffice for both.
Now, with one inch of water, this includes rainfall water,
so do your calculations to avoid overwatering.
Use local weather data to track the rainfall or invest in a
rain gauge. Next, you need to track the water you provide. Place a few
containers on your lawn to measure water from the sprinklers and record how long
it takes to supply one inch of water.
A more straightforward way to do this would be the
screwdriver test. With proper watering, a screwdriver should penetrate to 6
inches with ease. Anything less means you have work to do.
4. Invest in a Timer
All too often, homeowners will let the sprinklers run for
longer than is necessary simply because they forgot to turn off the water. The
result is a saturated lawn and wasted water.
With a timer, you can go on with your business without
worrying about turning off the water — the timer screws to your spigot and the
hose to the timer. The timer will turn off the water after a preset time.
By and large, your lawn gets enough water without you
worrying about it.
5. Water in Shorter Cycles
You have instances where the lawn does not absorb water
fast, and it ends up forming puddles. Should this happen, water in shorter
cycles of about 10 minutes to let the soil absorb water.
For the best lawn maintenance, contact the experts at Wright Turf. We can help you have the
beautiful green lawn you deserve and are happy to answer any of your questions.
