It may seem elementary, but proper watering techniques are essential for a healthy attractive lawn.
Occasional light rains or short down pours are not enough to ensure lawn soil has been sufficiently soaked.
Here are a few tips when starting a watering program.
• Established lawns should be watered deeply to encourage deeper root growth. When watering make sure you moisten the top 3-4? of soil to cover the root zone. 1 1/2-2? of water per week should be sufficient (includes rain fall.) It’s best to divide this into 3 longer waterings a week. Every day watering for short intervals will not allow you to get the soil penetration you need. A shallow root system gives a lawn a higher chance of heavy heat stress issues. The best time to water is in the morning. This conserves water that would be lost to evaporation if you were to water later in the day, that also allows grass to dry before evening. Grass that remains wet for long periods of time at night is more susceptible to disease development. Also remember that as we get into the hotter part of summer you will need to increase watering to help keep your lawn from going dormant. If lawn reaches dormant stage it is best to water once a week to keep crown of plant hydrated and keep foot traffic down. This will allow lawn to recover much quicker once fall rains begin.
