Lawn watering is an essential part of establishing and upkeeping a healthy lawn. But it’s not always easy to establish healthy patterns and practices, especially when you’re first taking up the practice.
And many are. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed a surge of 16 million new gardeners that identified as Millennial-aged or younger. Whether that’s you or you’re just taking up lawn care for the first time, there are some things you need to know about lawn watering.
Types of Lawns
The first rule when first starting to water your lawn is to know what kind of grass you have. Different types of grass have different watering needs. The most common types of grasses are:
- Kentucky bluegrass
- Perennial ryegrass
- Tall fescue
- Zoysia grass
- Bermudagrass
- Buffalograss
Kentucky bluegrass watering, as an example, requires you to water more frequently than other types of grass. It has a deep root system that needs to be moistened often to stay healthy. Perennial ryegrass, on the other hand, can withstand long periods of drought and only needs to be watered every few weeks.
Amount of Water Used
Depending on the type of grass, the amount of water it needs will vary. There’s also the consideration of how much lawn space that you’re working with.
A small patch of grass in your front yard requires less water than a large backyard. The general rule is that you should be using about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.
You can measure this by setting out empty tuna cans or any other container around your lawn while you’re watering. After about 30 minutes, see how much has accumulated.
Be sure to water deeply when you do. This encourages deeper roots.
When is the Best Time to Water Garden Lawn?
The best time to water your lawn, regardless of grass type, is in the early morning hours. The reasons for this are two-fold.
First, there’s less wind during this time, so water isn’t blown away or lost to evaporation as easily. Second, watering in the morning gives the grass time to dry before nightfall. If grass stays wet overnight, it’s more susceptible to diseases, molds, and fungi.
Lawn Watering Frequency
How often you need to water your lawn also depends on the type of grass. Kentucky bluegrass, for example, should be watered every day or every other day during the hot summer months. Perennial ryegrass, on the other hand, can go up to two weeks without being watered.
To figure out a watering system for your green lawn, start by paying attention to the weather. If it’s been hot and dry, water more frequently. If cooler temperatures and rain are in the forecast, you can scale back.
Be Careful Doing It Yourself
As we’ve noted, there are many dabbling in DIY lawn care since the pandemic. Be careful when choosing to go this route. The Internet has a lot of contradictory advice for novices, and it takes experience to tell the good from the bad.
That’s why you may want to consider hiring a professional lawn care service or landscaper to achieve proper lawn watering and care. Best of luck!
For more lifestyle tips and information, check out some of our other posts.
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