A regular watering schedule is crucial for lush and healthy lawns. Knowing when to water your lawn, how often you need to water, and how much is crucial are important questions. Here are some tips to help you create a perfect watering plan for your home.

When should you water your lawn?

It is best to water your grass in the morning, before 10:00 AM, if you can. The grass may not absorb enough water if it is too hot or sunny in the afternoons. Problems with diseases could result from overwatering. Every spring, make sure you check the sprinkler system for any broken pipes or damaged irrigation heads. You can consult a professional if you have any questions about your sprinkler system or how to prepare it for spring.

How Much Water Do You Need?

A lawn requires about 1 inch of water every week. This can vary depending on the region, wind speed, evaporation, and type of grass. The cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and bluegrass can withstand drought. Other grasses like ryegrass or fine fescues may go dormant during a drought. Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, and some native species, like Buffalo grass in South America, are also more resistant to drought and require less water than cool-season grasses in certain parts of the country.

If the lawn is becoming brown or if your footprints are not disappearing quickly, it’s likely that you need more water than the recommended one inch. You can see signs of overwatering in dense thatch layers on the soil, visible standing waters, excessive weeds, visible spots, bare spots, and a spongy feel when walking.

Sprinkler System

Although sprinkler systems make it easy for lawns to be watered daily, they will rarely require that much water. You should not be relying on short, light watering. Instead, plan for frequent, deeper watering. How long the sprinkler should be left on will depend on how the system flows, wind speed, and evaporation rate.

This information should be provided by the manufacturer. You can also leave some empty tuna fish and cat food containers on the lawn next time you water and then see how long it takes to fill them with water. Be aware that not all lawns have equal water distribution. Make sure to fill several containers with equal water and give them an average time.

An ideal schedule for watering a lawn is 30 minutes twice per week. This schedule can also be used as a starting point for your own customized schedule. Make sure to check the soil every 15-30 minutes and water only once the soil has reached six inches.

You can also check the sprinkler system’s reach by lightly putting regular baking flour on your lawn. Then, after the irrigation system runs, inspect for any flour-covered spots. Any flour that remains on the lawn after the irrigation system has run a full cycle will indicate that there has been a problem with the sprinkler head, such as clogging of the nozzle, a radius shift in nozzles, or an incorrect flow pattern.