If you have a lawn in your backyard and want to be an expert gardener, you must regularly take care of it. Regular maintenance makes your lawn green and luscious. When spring has arrived, you have to think of watering, one of the most essential and significant aspects of caring for your lawn.
We all know that water is necessary for every living being. Another name for water is life, so life depends on water entirely. It is straightforward to water your lawn; follow some tips and tricks to make it easier and save you time and money.
But it may be dangerous for your lawn and kill all your desired grass if you follow the wrong method of watering. So, you must be careful when you are ready to water your lawn. Follow the best watering methods that suit your yard, soil, grass types, and locality. In this article, you will learn the most effective and productive way to water your lawn.
Watering the lawn: how long?
One to one and a half inches of water every week is ideal and essential for lawn grass and plants all year round. It is easy to find out how long you water your lawn. Put or set out a container and water it until it is within one inch of reach.
Determine the time to fill one inch, which is the needed amount of time each week to water your lawn. For example, if it takes 30 minutes, then water your lawn 30 minutes per week. According to your comfort, make it into fractions such as 10 mins and 3 times each week. You will get a satisfactory result if your soil is healthy and well-cultivated. It has an excellent drainage system and supplies sufficient water into the grassroots when needed.
On the other hand, poor soil has an inadequate drainage system, so it becomes waterlogged, and it can damage your lawn grass by decaying the grass root. Also, it has an insufficient amount of organic matter.
Time for watering your lawn (Schedule)
Timing is everything to water well. You are recommended to water your lawn early in the morning when the air is cool, and a gentle breeze of winds flow is calmer. There is less chance of evaporation at this time, water is more likely to penetrate deeply, and the grass will dry out before beating down on sunlight. The best time to water your lawn is 4 am to 10 am.
Avoid midday watering because of the warmer temperatures. This time water evaporates very quickly; thus, water doesn’t penetrate properly.
Few people recommend water in the evening, but it is also not optimal. Moreover, droplets cling to the grass overnight, which increases the chance of fungal growth and disease on the grass.
When to start watering your lawn?
If you notice that your lawn becomes greyish in color or dull green, that means it needs water immediately. Another way to check it is to walk on it if your footprints don’t disappear quickly and your grass blades don’t have the required moisture. In this situation, you can water your lawn anytime during the day. Still, the most effective time for watering is in the morning (before 10 am).
How often watering the lawn?
Don’t water daily in your lawn grass to avoid a shallow root system. As we know, shallow root systems dry out fast, thus weakening your lawn grass. On the other hand, deep watering encourages grassroots to run deep. It makes a strong system under the ground, allowing for more resilience when the weather is changed. In addition, it becomes more complicated and disease-resistant.
Professionals recommended watering the lawn three times per week during the warm season. Therefore, you must complete 1 inch of water 3 times per week.
When it is in the cool season, you need to water one or a maximum of two times per week to achieve the maximum goals. This time, evaporation is less, and there is always a chance of rainfall. So, avoid more than two waterings. In addition, water doesn’t penetrate the grass during the evening time. Instead, it grips the leaf blades all night, thus increasing the chance of lawn diseases.
Best tips on watering your lawn
There are some best tips for watering your lawn are given below.
Water slowly and evenly:
Water your lawn slowly as if your yard can efficiently absorb it. However, don’t be so hasty; otherwise, excess water will run off, which causes a waste of your time, money, and efforts. Also, there is a chance of environmental hazards.
Water your lawn evenly as if it can cover your entire yard. The watering system should be tested before starting. If you follow the sprinkler system, try it by placing small containers in several places around your lawn.
The determination that your lawn has enough water:
Sometimes you need to determine your lawn water level to ensure that your lawn is receiving enough water. Notice on your lawn that if you find it looks healthy and flourishing, it receives enough water, which means you are on the right track.
Another way is to submerge a screwdriver. If it sinks 6-7 inches easily, you are in the right way, keep following your watering schedule, and your plant gets enough water. However, if you don’t get the expected result, it is probably time to change your watering schedule and tricks.
Constantly aware of the changing weather, feeding, and fertilizing when needed. Provide much compost and organic fertilizer in the fall and spring seasons. Any mushrooms growing in your lawn means your lawn has water or you give too much water. So, if you see such problems, decrease the amount of water until these mushrooms are gone.
Rate of water penetration:
Different soil types require different amounts of water, and their retaining rate is also different. So, you need to know which soil your lawn consists of. If it is sandy soil, its penetration rate is high and retains moisture for a short time. If it is clay soil, its penetration rate is prolonged, but it retains moisture for a long time. On the other hand, a combination of sand and clay is known as loamy soil; it doesn’t keep the water very well.
The best soil for lawns is sandy loam which retains moderate moisture, and its penetration rate is also moderate. So, if possible, use sandy loam soil to avoid many problems with watering.
Watering based on grass types:
Watering in different lawn varieties and caring for your lawn largely depends on several factors such as seasons, region, and mostly on grass types, you want to grow. The different lawn needs different caring and watering. So, you have to give priority and pay attention to which types of grass you are growing. If you determine your watering requirements once, preparing a watering schedule and supplying the proper amount of water in all seasons will be easy.
Warm-Season Grasses:
Zoysia and Bermuda grass are warm-season grasses. These grow well when the temperature remains above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The growth of these plants becomes slow when the daytime temperatures decrease. It needs sufficient moisture for its lifecycle management and to stay healthy.
You must regularly supply the perfect amount of water and continue regular mowing as long as the lawn grass grows. Avoid fertilizing your warm-season lawn in the fall; wait until spring arrives. The grass is in an active growing period in the spring, so it is perfect for mowing and fertilizing your lawn.
Cool-Season Grass:
Bluegrass, fescue, and rye are cool-season grass and actively growing in the fall after recovering from summer dormancy. Though cool fall temperatures keep evaporation rates low, these grass needs the same amount of water (one inch or very little more) each week. In addition, cool-season grass needs fertilizer in the fall. Therefore, watering after every fertilizer is essential to get the fertilizer into the soil.
Lawn watering systems:
When you are ready to water your lawn, you need a decent idea of different irrigation or watering methods. You must follow the best practices that suit you, your yard, your soil, and your locality. Usually, there are four main types of irrigation. These are stated below with some info.
Sprinkler Irrigation:
It is also referred to as “overhead irrigation.” Water spreads throughout the air in the same way that rain falls. Sprinkler irrigation is a method of applying water to your lawn that is efficient and easy to use. With sprinkler irrigation, you can water your lawn without having to hand-water each plant.
This type of irrigation is good for people who have large yards or gardens. Sprinkler irrigation is also good for people who live in areas with hot, dry climates. The biggest advantage of sprinkler irrigation is that it conserves water. This type of irrigation system can be programmed to water your lawn only when needed, so you won’t have to worry about wasting water.
Sprinkler irrigation is also gentle on your lawn, and it can help prevent problems such as diseases and pests. If you’re looking for an efficient way to water your lawn, sprinkler irrigation is the way to go.
Drip/Trickle Irrigation:
This is a micro-irrigation method. Drip irrigation is a type of irrigation system that applies water directly to the roots of plants, either through a network of buried tubes or aboveground emitters. Drip irrigation is a very efficient way to water lawns because it keeps water from evaporating and spreads it evenly across the landscape.
In addition, drip irrigation can be automated, making it easy to keep your lawn properly hydrated without expending any extra effort. If you’re looking for an efficient and low-maintenance way to water your lawn, drip irrigation is definitely worth considering.
This method delivers water to the soil surface as droplets or small streams via emitters. Because of its slow water distribution rate, it is suitable for all soil types. It provides less pressure and flow than sprinkler systems.
Surface Irrigation:
Surface irrigation is the most common type of irrigation used for lawns. It includes using a sprinkler or hose to apply water to the lawn. The water soaks into the soil and is then taken up by the roots of the grass. There are several benefits to surface irrigation.
First, it is relatively easy to set up and does not require as much equipment as other types of irrigation. Second, surface irrigation can be used on sloped areas, which can be difficult to water with other methods. Third, surface irrigation is very efficient in terms of water use, since very little water is lost to evaporation or runoff. Finally, surface irrigation can be used for a variety of different soil types and grasses.
However, there are also some drawbacks to surface irrigation. First, it requires more frequent watering than other methods, which can be time-consuming. Second, if the lawn is not level, water may pool in low-lying areas and cause problems with drainage. Third, surface irrigation can promote disease if the leaves of the grass stay wet for long periods of time.
Even though surface irrigation has these problems, it is still the most common way to water a lawn because it has so many benefits.
Sub-surface Irrigation:
Sub-surface irrigation is a type of irrigation that uses underground pipes to deliver water to the roots of plants. This method is often used for lawns, as it helps to keep the grass green and healthy while reducing water waste.
One advantage of sub-surface irrigation is that it can be used in areas with high water tables, as the water is delivered directly to the roots and does not have to seep through the soil. Also, because less equipment and labor are needed, this type of irrigation is often less expensive than surface irrigation.
But sub-surface irrigation can be harder to set up and keep up with, and it may need chemicals to keep bacteria from growing in the pipes. Despite these challenges, sub-surface irrigation is an efficient and effective way to water lawns and other landscaping.
Water in grass seed carefully:
Seeding is important for establishing a good lawn or filling or patching bare spots. However, the success of seeding largely depends on proper watering. They must keep under watering or damp conditions to germinate and grow until the seedlings establish roots.
After sprouting the seeds, a dry period can kill these new sprouts, so you need to start watering once or twice on hot or windy days. You must follow sprinkler methods at this time because hard spray or big droplets of water will wash the seeds away or clump together. When it is the time of first mowing, follow watering once a day.
More tips for watering your lawn:
You have to decide which watering techniques you follow, either your water manually by using a hosepipe or sprinklers. Below are some key things you have to consider.
- Sprinkler irrigation is the most effective and efficient watering method if it is large enough. If you intend to live in a certain house for a long time, the investment is worthwhile.
- Let’s say you’ve decided against purchasing an underground irrigation system with your hard-earned cash. Then, a revolving sprinkler that is attached to a garden hose is the next best alternative for you to consider. These systems eject the water in a horizontal direction at a high speed.
- Pulsating sprinklers is not optimal for all types of lawns specifically composed of newly born grass, as it can cause harm in this. The high-speed water flow can wash away the seeds of new yards.
Final Thoughts:
We covered the most important grass-watering method above. You’ll know how to keep your grass healthy if you follow all the methods and ideas. However, lawn and garden maintenance, especially watering, is crucial to becoming an adept gardener. Master lawn watering by practicing. This article provides essential irrigation advice. Share your watering experience. Take care of your grass, and I’ll see you in the next article with more great tips and methods.
