The Ultimate Summer Lawn Watering Guide

Signs of Underwatering:

• Dry patches: A lawn without the proper amount of water develops patches of straw-colored grass.
• Visible footprints on your turf: If your turf is not easily springing back after walking on it, that’s a sign of underwatering.
• Stunted growth: When you find yourself not having to mow as much it means your grass isn’t growing.
• Shallow roots: Shallow roots make the grass even more susceptible to heat and water stress. Dig a small patch of lawn to see how long the roots are. They should be about four or more inches deep.
• Dry soil: To test if your lawn is receiving enough water, try puncturing the soil with a long-blade screwdriver. If the blade goes at least three inches deep, that’s a good sign. If it doesn’t, it may mean that your soil is hard and dry and needs moisture.
• Wilting: Turf grass will wilt if it’s not watered enough. That’s because most plants need to have a proper amount of water to stand upright.

How To Treat a Stressed Lawn

Oftentimes, we try to save our lawn from the heat of the summer temperatures by watering more. When in reality, if you’re watering in a consistent cycle for the type of grass you have, it’s likely already getting just the amount of water it needs. So, here are some things to save your lawn from the stress it may have from over and under-watering or avoiding the stress altogether.

Treating an Underwatered Lawn

• Apply consistent, even watering to your lawn. You want it to get enough water to penetrate deep into the roots of your soil.
• Stay on a consistent watering schedule. Watering your lawn on the same days at the same times each week. For example, Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 6:30 am.
• Fertilize your lawn regularly, but make sure not to fertilize too much.
• Mow your lawn on a regular schedule.

Important Reminders

Lastly, here are just a few simple reminders when it comes to watering your lawn.

Remember to check the soil first.

Since you can’t always rely on the surface to know if there’s enough moisture, check the ground itself to ensure it’s penetrating into the roots.

Learn the type of grass you have

In order to know how much water your lawn needs you need to know what type of grass you have. Generally, a lawn needs about one to one and a half inches of water each week. That could mean watering two or three times a week to avoid excessive runoff. You could also place empty small-opened tuna cans on your lawn during the watering. When the can is filled halfway, that means your lawn has also gotten ½” of water.

Water at the best time of day.

It takes time for water to soak in unless you water during the heat of the day. Generally, it can take an hour just for ¼” of water to soak in. So, adjust your watering schedule as needed and water during the best times of the day. Watering during the most-heated time of the day can cause the ground to soak up 20-25% of the water. That means it didn’t get as much water as you thought. Try to water early in the morning if possible. Try to avoid the night altogether.

Use a rain sensor if possible.

For those of you who have an irrigation system, this will alleviate having to adjust your system manually if it rains. You don’t have to water the lawn when it rains. So, to avoid having to manually adjust, use a rain sensor to monitor the weather and regulate when your system needs to be on.

Conclusion

While many homeowners feel watering the lawn is all about keeping the lawn watered, it requires more than that. It requires knowing the type of grass you have and understanding what it needs for it to grow. Everyone wants a beautifully crafted lawn, but that’s only possible when properly cared for, and overwatering or underwatering will not get you that perfect lawn.

When you have questions or need help, contact us. We’re only a click away.