A good deal of homeowners actually overwaters their lawns. Yes, many people water their lawns too much. It’s probably the most common lawn irrigation mistake around. Sprinkler system times are usually set by the irrigation service when they install the system. People should take control of their irrigation systems and definitely not water before, during and after rainstorms. The natural water from the rain takes care of the yard’s needs. In this article, we’ll explore why overwatering your lawn isn’t necessary.
Why shouldn’t a person overwater their lawn?
There are many reasons not to overwater your lawn. It can drown a plant’s roots including your grass blades. Overwatering also leads to an increase in a lawn’s vulnerability to weeds, insects and other diseases. It reduces drought tolerance and other environmental stressors. Overwatering can also encourage thatch and excessive growth.
How much water is enough?
Generally speaking, watering to one inch per week is sufficient for any lawn. A healthy lawn should be a little thirsty. That way it always sends roots deeper into the soil, looking for moisture. The deeper your root system is the healthier and more resilient the turf will be. An ideal watering is deep and infrequent to mirror natural rainfall. Shallow and often will lead you to a host of problems like the ones already discussed above.
The ideal time to water is during the pre-dawn hours when there is less wind. It’s also cooler so the water has time to penetrate the root zone before the heat of day evaporates it. The water won’t sit on the plant too long either and create disease conditions.
How do you know when to water?
You can just walk through your yard and look for visual signs that it needs water. Learning to spot those is important. Grass will get a bluish color, the leaves will look narrow and your footprints on the grass will remain for a long time when the grass is dry. Remember, a lawn that is healthy can go dormant. The grass blades will appear wilted and there will be browning of leaf blades. Dormancy, although not pretty, is a temporary state that a healthy lawn will recover from when the rains return or it is watered well.
Conclusion
Overwatering your lawn can cause more problems than it solves. A healthy lawn needs to be watered deeply but infrequently even during the difficult summer months. Most homeowners can get away with watering once weekly to a depth of 1 inch. Any more than that and you can leave your lawn open to a host of difficulties.
Contact Emerald Lawns today to learn more about watering a lawn or set up a lawn care maintenance program with us. We’re happy to help show you the best ways to keep your lawn healthy. Call 512-990-2199 for more information.
