SHOP FOR ALL IRRIGATION SUPPLIES ON SPRINKLER WAREHOUSE
SHOP NOW

Home > Maintenance > How Much Should I Water My Yard?

Make Your Irrigation Efforts Efficient And Effective

It is important how much you should water your yard before starting your irrigation system. The second most important step to a healthy lawn, following closely behind fertilizing, is watering. Like fertilizing, it is possible to water too much. You don’t necessarily have to soak your lawn.

Learn how to determine your soil type

The important rule when you water your yard is to moisten your root zone. This is achieved with 1-2 inches of water a week. Consider yourself lucky if Mother Nature takes care of this for you on occasion. Don’t stress if you miss a week once in a while.

A healthy lawn can last several weeks without water. Although it may turn brown, it doesn’t completely die. Watering your lawn daily can actually do more damage to your yard than watering every two weeks.

Too much water can make your lawn susceptible to thatch and other diseases. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, make sure it is programmed to only apply the amount of water that your soil can absorb at one time. If you are having water runoff you could be fined for wasting water.

Determining How Long Your System Should Run:

To determine the amount of time you need to let your system run, observe how long it takes for water to begin running off. If it occurs after 15 minutes you will know that your system should only run for less than 15 minutes at a time. Another safeguard to effective watering is to measure how much water your system is supplying during this time.

If it is less than 1 to 2 inches of water, allow this water to soak in and let your system run more than once a day. After you are squared away on the amount of water to provide for your lawn, the next obstacle is to determine how often you need water.

There really is no set rule – every other day, once a week, or every third day. The best thing to do is be in tune with your lawn. By doing so, you will notice signs when your lawn needs a drink. Visible footprints in your lawn are one sign that your grass is wilting.

What If The Lawn Color Changes?

Next, if your lawn’s color starts to fade or even turns to another shade, give your lawn watering. If you notice a certain area in the lawn is starting to show some dry spots, or any of the above-mentioned symptoms, check your sprinkler’s rotation and make sure that water is reaching every part of your lawn.

A handy tool for knowing how much you should water your yard is a rain gauge (shown on right). It can tell you if Mother Nature has done some of your work for you or if you still need to add additional watering time. People tend to have many different theories concerning the best time to water the lawn. The morning hours are the best time to water. You will often find less wind at this time of day, which will keep you from watering the neighbor’s yard or even the street. The morning also allows your lawn drying time before dusk sets in. Entering into nighttime with a soggy lawn is a big mistake. This is an open invitation for diseases to invade your lawn.