While Mother Nature typically provides enough rainfall for your lawn, there are times when watering is necessary; such as extended heat or droughts or newly planted lawns. Wait until the lawn becomes dull or footprints remain in the grass before you begin watering.
The ideal time to water is early in the morning, between the hours of 6 am and 10 am. During these hours there is less wind and sun and your lawn will have all day to dry.
Watering in the middle of the day will cause most of your water to be lost due to evaporation and wind while watering at night creates a higher risk of mildew and fungus in your lawn. However, if you are unable to water in the morning, watering between and 4pm-7pm is the next best option.
The ideal amount of water to use for your lawn when watering with a sprinkler is about 1/2 inch, twice per week. It will most likely take between 15-30 minutes to accomplish this, but the time will vary based on the type of sprinkler used.
It is very important to make sure your lawn is not getting too much OR too little water. You can set out rain gauges or empty tuna cans to measure this. Make sure water is being dispersed equally throughout your lawn by setting out multiple gauges in different areas.
An alternative to watering is to not water your lawn. Some lawns are resilient and can tolerate dry conditions for up to 2 months if they are left alone. When rainfall or cooler temperatures return in the fall the lawn’s lush, green color will return, especially if the lawn was well fed in the spring and summer months.
