For a lush, green and healthy lawn, it’s imperative that you know how to properly irrigate it. Developing sensible watering habits is the quickest way to maintaining your lawn and make it more resistant to unwanted weeds, diseases and drought.
To avoid making any catastrophic lawn watering blunders, read on to know just how you should do it and how often:
Firstly, watering conditions can vary:
How often you should water your lawn varies greatly depending upon the soil type and weather conditions in your location. For more accurate advice on watering your own lawn, it’s best to speak to a local lawn care specialist.
Avoid excessive watering:
Shallow root systems are encouraged when you over-water your lawn, and then the grass becomes extremely vulnerable to heat stress. Drought is a very real possibility if you irrigate your lawn too much, and it will take a lot longer to be restored to its former condition. Not only that, but waterlogging is a risk which can encourage fungus and other diseases to flourish, making your lawn look anything but inviting and healthy.
But water your lawn enough:
Under-watering your lawn can do just as much damage as over-watering, so it’s important to irrigate it deeply (by providing it with around 1/3 of an inch of water) and not too often (3 times a week is perfect). When you don’t water your lawn enough, it can become vulnerable to drought and since most people can’t rely solely on rainfall to irrigate their lawns, it’s vital that you water it properly, and especially during the growing season.
Use your sprinkler system sensibly:
Using your sprinkler system during rainfall can quickly lead to an over-watered and unhealthy lawn. If you’ve experienced good rainfall, avoid watering your lawn for at least a couple of days. Be sure to keep an eye on your sprinkler system, too, and ensure that your lawn is being watered evenly, and that you’re not wasting water. If you use both spray and rotor heads, never use them on the same zone of your lawn.
Try to water your lawn at the right times:
Watering before 9 am is the best time to irrigate your lawn, as there is naturally less sunlight and usually less wind. Irrigating in the middle of the day simple means that most of the water will evaporate before it has a chance to reach the roots, and doing so in the evening is even worse since it can quickly create the perfect conditions for lawn fungus to thrive in. Ideally, you should try to water your lawn between the hours of 6 and 9 in the morning.
For more tips, advice and guidance on how to correctly water your lawn, contact your local lawn care specialist.
