Water – the natural drink for lawns and plants. But many people wonder how much water does my lawn need?
While this question will vary by the area of the country you live, most lawns in the Pennsylvania area thrive if they get between 3/4″ – 2″ of water per week to maintain their green color and active growth. Obviously this is a guideline and not a weekly requirement.
Here are a couple of points we think you should be aware of:
- When should I water? Early in the day, early in the day, early in the day. The grass will drink what it needs and the rest will evaporate during the day. Watering during the heat of the day causes excessive evaporation. Watering at night potentially allows some diseases to adhere to your lawn.
- How much do I water? A rain gauge can help you keep track of how much the lawn has received. The guide is at least ¾” – 1” per week. However, your lawn is not going to die if it doesn’t get it. Don’t water the lawn if rains are expected soon. Overwatering does not promote proper root growth as the grass roots are searching above instead of below in their search of water. Over watering can promote weed growth.
- How do I know how much I have watered? We recommend using a very sophisticated rain gauge such as an empty Tuna can. Place it halfway between the sprinkler and the end of the watering reach. When it fills up, you can stop watering. If you don’t have a Tuna can, send us $9.95, we’ll eat the tuna and send you the empty can.
- What is your summer plan? The first few hot days of summer does not automatically mean you have to run out and water your lawn. Allowing your lawn to go under some mild drought stress actually increases rooting as the roots go deeper in search of water. But you should decide that you are either going to water regularly throughout the summer or you are going to let your lawn go dormant by not watering. The grass does NOT die when you let it go dormant. It just doesn’t look lush and green. Letting your lawn dry out, then watering, then letting it dry out, then watering, etc. is not good for the health of your lawn. So pick which way you are going to treat your lawn this summer and stick to it. Of course continued drought conditions may cause the local government to prohibit existing lawns from being watered.
If you are watering, and still need help with improving the condition of your lawn, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
