When it comes to maintaining a healthy, beautiful lawn, there are few tasks more important than watering. A healthy lawn requires about an inch of water per week during the growing season, as both droughts and over-watering can cause damage to your lawn. In addition, there are always environmental concerns with water usage. How do you keep it in balance?
There are a lot of factors that contribute to how much water your lawn really needs, but the goal of watering is not just to keep your grass alive, but to encourage deeper root growth. Shallow watering leads to shallow roots, which leaves your grass more susceptible to drought and certain diseases. You need to apply enough water to reach the root zone of your grass. Here are some tips to help you maximize your lawn watering efforts:
- Water early in the morning. With sprinklers, heat and wind in the air can evaporate a lot of the water before it ever hits your grass. With a hose, a hot day can heat the water, which will potentially scald your lawn. Watering early in the morning is your best bet for cool air and still wind, which will deliver the best results.
- Do your homework. Research the type of soil you have, the type of grass you have, and the root depth of that grass. These factors affect how much water your lawn actually needs and how to water it. For example, if your soil type absorbs water slowly, you may need to pause watering half-way through, allowing the ground to absorb the water fully. This prevents runoff, which is a waste of water and thoroughly sub-par from an environmental perspective.
- Keep an eye out. It’s important to recognize the signs of an unhealthy lawn. An under-watered lawn might have blades of grass that curl and are a bluish-green color. Your lawn will also bounce back more slowly from footprints. An over-watered lawn might have high runoff from thatch buildup, or an excess of mushrooms or other fungi. Keeping track of your lawn’s health ensures you can adjust its regimen for the best outcome.
- Plant your garden for your environment. There are many places where a lawn is overly impractical due to arid conditions, hotter temperatures, or extended droughts. If these are concerns, look into planting more drought-resistant plants that require less maintenance.
Having a lawn can be hard work, but it can also be very rewarding. If you’re stuck wondering about your soil composition, grass variety, or how often you should water, our pros can certainly help! Chat with one of our lawn techs, or give us a call if you want to put your lawn care in expert hands. Happy watering!
