Watering Tips

Watering a lawn seems pretty straight forward – put a hose or sprinklers on some grass and let them run. However, correctly watering a lawn for optimal growth, health, and aesthetics is a little more involved.  While most turf grasses are pretty durable, they thrive under specific watering schedules and amounts. VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City, Utah wants to help you know the best way to water your lawn so it not only looks great but grows great as well.

Watering deeply and less often will help grass develop stronger and deeper roots. Shallow, frequent watering will keep the root system growing only at the surface of the soil which will cause a lawn to quickly dry out in hot, dry conditions and encourage weeds to flourish. However, going overboard and nearly drowning your lawn can cause mold and diseases as well as waste resources and money. Any pooling water or runoff is a sign of overwatering. Rather than turn sprinklers on the whole lawn for a small dry or browning area, use a hose or other method to water only the area in need. Use a screwdriver or other long, thin metal rod inserted into the ground to determine how deeply the water has soaked. It will insert easily into damp ground. Water should reach at least 6 inches deep considering most common lawn grasses can grow roots 1 foot deep or more. It should not be kept at this constant wet state though. Grass roots need oxygen and can only receive it if the ground is allowed to dry out between waterings.

Knowing when to water your lawn is important also and varies based on environmental conditions. Sight is the best way to determine when grass is in need of watering. The older blades of grass will begin to curl and footprints will remain visible longer. The color of the blades may also change dependent on the variety of grass. Early morning watering is preferable to any other time of day. The sun is less hot, the wind often hasn’t kicked up, and the grass has the day to absorb and use the water whereas night watering can cause mildew. However, during extreme bouts of heat and drought, night watering would be preferable as mildew wouldn’t have an opportunity to grow and it would prevent evaporation. Afternoon watering is the worst as it wastes a lot of water through evaporation. Keeping grass mowed to 2 ½ – 3 inches (or longer during droughts) will help it shade its roots and reduce evaporation. Also, allowing clippings to fall back into the lawn will self-fertilize and reduce the need for water.

Following these guidelines will help you keep green in your landscape and green in your wallet. Your grass will be stronger, healthier, and more drought resistant and you will do less to keep it there.