Is there a good or bad time to water my lawn?
Every lawn needs water. A lawn with too little water can lead to dead patches a generally unhealthy lawn. You wouldn’t have a pot plant in the house deprive it of water and expect it to grow.
Well, your lawn is the same.
So when is the best time to water my lawn? – The best time is between 6 – 10 am in the morning. The water will take longer to evaporate and it gives the lawn time to absorb it. The next best time is between 4 – 6 pm. The worst time is between 10 – 2 pm when the sun is at its hottest.
The is usually less wind in the morning and as wind speeds up evaporation you will use less water to get the same results. You will also notice that humidity is higher in the mornings and this helps too.
The next two questions that follow are usually “how often” and “how much” so read on for those answers too.
If you’re in a hurry here is a video from Gilmore about that very topic.
How often should I water my lawn
This of course depends on where you live but I will answer that question generally here.
There are normally two different kinds of grasses used for domestic lawns.
- Warm-season grasses – These should be watered around two to three times a week. They have deep roots and a regular watering schedule will help them grow good roots and become more resistant to drought. They like a temperature of 80 degrees or more.
- Cool-season grasses – These should be watered three times a week. They have shallow roots so a little and often suits them better. These grasses like a temperature of around 70-80 degrees.
Is daily watering good for my lawn?
In short, No. Daily watering encourages shallow root growth. This leads to weak plants that are susceptible to disease. Lawns prefer an occasional soak rather than daily watering so two to three times a week is fine.
How to tell if lawn weeds water. Telltale signs.
If your grass starts becoming discolored (light green or yellow) or it doesn’t spring back when you walk through it then that could be a sign that your lawn needs watering. Weed seems to thrive without water but unfortunately, lawns don’t.
Should I worry if my lawn is brown?
This is usually not a problem. I have seen extremely dead-looking lawns come back to life in the Spring.
I knew of a guy who bought a house and all the lawns on the street were brown, He dug his up and replanted. Everyone else left their lawns and every single one came back.
What’s wrong with watering my lawn at night?
On the surface, this sounds like a good idea because then the lawn will stay wet all night have plenty to drink. Watering the lawn after 6 pm is a bad idea. The lawn remaining wet all night encourages moss, mold, and diseases. Not something you would want.
How long should I water my lawn for?
Most lawns require about an inch of water a week so the roots chase the water and grow deep. but how do you know when you have given the lawn enough water? Well, 15-20 minutes with a sprinkler usually does it but the are a couple of variables. Such as your water pressure and the kind of sprinkler you use one easy way is to use a straight-sided small container or can in the sprinkler area and seeing how long it takes to fill up to an inch.
The other method is to use a six-inch screwdriver and push it into the soil. If it goes in easily then the lawn has had enough water.
An easy way is to use a rain gauge. You could go all out and get a self-emptying one with a digital display or an inexpensive manual one that will do the job.
If you are looking for a good sprinkler you can you could try the WOVUU Garden Sprinkler. For the best results, I would recommend using a timer.
Things to watch out for when watering.
Are there any spots on your lawn that are staying brown?
The first thing to look at is sprinkler coverage. Make sure that area is not being missed. If it is getting enough water but remains brown you will need to check out other possible causes.
The water pools in certain areas.
The first thing to check for is overwatering. If you are not overwatering then it could be because of the condition of the soil or the slope of the lawn. If you have a drainage people you will need to put in a soak pit. The link goes to a how-to video.
If you have a clay base then it would hurt to aerate your lawn. lawn. here’s a post I wrote on that. How to aerate your lawn.
If you have a slow draining lawn and do not want to do anything about it at this point in time then I would suggest using a timer and splitting the run time to something like 10 minutes on 30 minutes of and 10 minutes on again. This should help it soak in.
What is the best time to water grass seed?
For a freshly planted lawn, water it at the same time but more often. You want to water the lawn for a quarter of an hour every day for the first couple of weeks. Don’t overwater, just water it until the top inch of the soil is moist but not soaked.
Use an oscillating sprinkler, not a pulsating sprinkler. An oscillating sprinkler has a finer spray and is less stressful on the new lawn. When you see the new grass start to curl under its own weight then that is the perfect time for the first mow.
Get tips & tricks on how to grow a profitable lawn care business delivered to you inbox every week.
Leave a Reply