Are You Watering Your Grass Properly?

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Carol A. Crotta

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If you can’t get your lawn watered correctly with the old-fashioned sprinkler, consider having an automated system installed.

Lawns are water guzzlers. While some folks have switched to native grasses and various groundcovers to be more water-conscious, others still love what lush turfgrass has to offer. The trick is to water your lawn properly to keep it looking its best without wasting that precious resource. (Remember, drought can occur anywhere, and water conservation is important no matter where you live.)

If your lawn is lush in parts and nearly brown in others, your yard isn’t being watered correctly. Your sprinkler pattern may be at fault, or you may not have enough sprinkler heads. Set out a series of open-mouth jars or pie pans at different points in your lawn and run your typical sprinkler setup for 15 minutes. Then check the depth of water in each container. The water levels will tell you how evenly your irrigation method is watering the lawn. The key is to achieve uniform water coverage cross the turf.

Next, check to see how deeply the water is penetrating. Water for 30 minutes, then dig down to see how far it’s reached. A healthy lawn should be moist down to about 5 inches. This depth of penetration encourages your grass to send its roots deep into the soil where they’ll be less prone to moisture loss and disease. It takes about ¼ of an inch of water to fall in sandy soil for penetration that deep. In clay soil, it takes about 1 ¾ inches of water for the liquid to percolate 5 inches down. If your lawn isn’t receiving the proper amount, consider watering fewer times a week but for longer periods of time – at least 30-45 minutes. This will keep soil-moisture content high where it counts: down deep.

Finally, water at the right time: between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. to allow your lawn to absorb sufficient moisture before the sun’s rays cause evaporation. Watering in the evening can cause your lawn to stay too wet, which can lead to fungal disease.

If you’re lawn isn’t as green as you’d like, take a look at your watering practices. With a little research and a few adjustments, it won’t be long before the grass is greener on your side of the fence.

Facts

How you intend to use your yard is a very important factor in selecting the type of turfgrass or groundcover. The more ornamental you want your lawn to be, for example, the finer the quality of grass or groundcover you should select. If the family will be running around in the back yard, you’ll need a more rugged turfgrass that can handle heavy foot traffic.

Tips

If you don’t have an in-ground, automated watering system you may want to consider installing one. Permanent irrigation systems help ease some lawn care concerns and make watering simple. When planning your in-ground system, remember to allow for possible future expansion.

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