When To Water My Lawn

Q

How often I should be watering my lawn, and how much water should I be applying to the lawn when it does get watered?

A

Set watering days and time limits for watering really are a very bad idea when it comes to watering our lawns properly. Set watering days means our lawns get watered regardless of whether the lawn needs watering or not, and set watering times disregard how much water our lawns may need throughout the year.

Our lawns should only ever be watered when the lawn itself begins to slightly wilt, which is a signal telling us that the lawn is running low on moisture and it's time for the next watering. If we water before this time, then the lawn really is not in need of a drink, and much of the water we are applying may be wasted in run-off into the street or excessive water draining away through the soil and into the water table. This same too frequent watering will also result in a shallow root system for the lawn which is far more prone to experience difficulties in the heat of summer.

So once the lawn tells us it's time for a drink, we want to give the lawn a good solid soaking. This will ensure the soil is moist deeper into it's profile. In turn - the lawn will grow far deeper roots which will make the turf considerably more resilient to the heat of summer, as well as using less water throughout the year because the majority of the moisture in the soil is being retained below the evaporation level of the soil.

Remember to use less water in Spring, Autumn and Winter, and give a deeper watering in the Summer. And this really is the only method to properly water a lawn to achieve it's greatest health with the least amount of wasted water.