An Eco- Friendly lawn necessitates the use of proper irrigation strategies. A good method may help you save water while also reducing disease, pest, and weed infestations. During the growth season, watering strategies should be modified to account for precipitation and long periods of hot and dry weather. Depending on the soil type and grass type, the volume of water and the length of each watering cycle should be modified. Raising your cutting height will also aid with moisture retention.
How Long Should You Water Your Lawn?
Sprinklers can hydrate your yard in an even, effective, and simple manner, but the health of your grass is dependent on how long the water is left running. If you run your sprinklers for too long, the grass will shrivel and brown; if you run them for too long, the earth will welcome extra thatch, bugs, or even fungus, while the wastewater will flow off then and weather your pavement. The best time to water your lawn is determined by several variables, including the grass kind, season, type of sprinkler system, and the weather. Continue reading to find out how long you should water your grass for a strong, healthy turf.
Determine Your Lawn’s Watering Needs
To begin, figure out how much water your grass will need each week in the measurement of inches to know how often to water the lawn. Most require 1 to 112 inches of water per week in general, although exact watering requirements vary by turfgrass type (cold season versus warm season), grass variety, and the time of year (the active versus the dormant growing season). For specific weekly watering suggestions for your lawn and location, contact your local municipal services office.
Cool-season grasses require more water than warm-season grasses in general, and watering requirements are higher during the active season (spring and fall for cool-season grasses, mid-to late spring through early fall for warm-season grasses) than during the dormant season.Cool-season grasses require more water than warm-season grasses in general, and watering requirements are higher during the active season (spring and fall for cool-season grasses, mid-to late spring through early fall for warm-season grasses) than during the dormant season.
Figure the Water Output of Your Sprinklers
Place about six straight-sided containers of the same size and shape in one section of the grass where the sprinklers reach and turn on your sprinklers for 20 minutes to determine the amount of water your sprinkler system puts out every hour. With a ruler, measure the depth of water (in inches) in each container and average the depths across the containers. To calculate how many inches of water your sprinkler system emits each hour, multiply the depth by three. If each container held around the same amount of water ranging from1/3 to 1/5 the average water depth would be 1/4, and your sprinkler’s water output would be from an inch to an inch and a half per hour (1/4 X 6).
Calculate how Long to Water the Lawn with Your Sprinklers Each Session
Divide your lawn’s weekly watering demands in inches by your sprinkler’s hourly water output to determine how long your sprinklers should run each week. If your specific type of lawn requires 1 inch of water per week and your sprinkler output is around an inch and a half per hour, you’ll need to turn on your sprinklers for roughly 40 minutes each week.
Water must reach and be thoroughly absorbed by the grassroots to create a healthy lawn, which necessitates watering frequently enough to fit your lawn’s soil type. If you just water once a week, you risk having wet soil, which encourages bugs and decay. Water regularly, but just to the tops of the roots, results in short roots and a dry lawn.
Top tips: Clay and loamy soils retain water for longer but absorb it more slowly, therefore water these soil types one to three times per week. Water two to four times weekly since sandy soil absorbs water quickly but does not store it as well. Divide the total weekly sprinkler duration by the weekly watering frequency to calculate how long to run your sprinklers during each watering session. Set your sprinkler to run for 20 minutes per watering session if you need to run your sprinklers for 40 minutes each week to satisfy your watering demands and intend to water your grass twice a week (40 divided by two). Allow at least a few days between watering sessions to allow the grassroots to absorb water and breathe.
How to Water Your Lawn During Hot Periods
When sprinklers are turned on during the hottest part of the day, much of the water that the lawn needs evaporate before it reaches the ground. This is dependent on the time of day and the air’s dryness, as well as wind speed, which might cause sprayed water to float away from its intended grass target. When too much water is sprayed to the turf, half of it evaporates, blows away in the wind, or pools and flows off the turf. Evaporation is, of course, worse in dry areas and during hot seasons. Early morning, between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., is the best time to water grass in any neighbourhood. Evening brings less evaporation, although winds may be stronger than early dawn. Furthermore, a wet lawn that sits moist all night might lead to turf fungal infections.
Raise Your Mower Height
Set your mower blade to a higher setting than you typically do. The larger canopy of leaves created by the taller cut shades the soil and protects the grass plants’ growth tips. You will notice a significant increase in the health of your lawn if you trim it taller during heat and drought conditions.
Watering Near Trees
Every day, trees absorb a massive quantity of water, using their huge network of fibrous roots to draw soil moisture away from the surface. As a result, the nearby grass is frequently the first to exhibit indications of drought stress. It’s crucial to note that if you’re watering grass near huge trees, you’ll need to increase the frequency of watering to keep the grass from browning.
As professionals, we know how often to water a lawn, the best way to water a lawn and all the necessary lawn watering tips. Contact us today for your lawn watering needs.