With the exception of homeowners who live in very rainy or tropical areas, watering the lawn is a must if it’s going to look green and lush. It’s easy to get into the habit of splashing some water around or setting a sprinkle out there and forgetting, and both are quick ways to drown your lawn and kill it. Going about it the right way isn’t exactly high science, but there are a few things you should keep in mind to do the job as efficiently as possible.
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Check to See if the Lawn Actually Needs Watering
If your lawn doesn’t need water, watering it is a bad idea. But how do you actually know if it needs water or not? There are basically two ways to tell, one more scientific than the other:
Wait for the Best Time
Really, you don’t have to set your watch to a specific time for watering the lawn, but mornings are the best for it. This is because evaporation is at it least powerful and you stand the best chance of your lawn staying moist. You can also water in the evening, although you do run the risk of not enough water evaporating and root rot or fungal diseases becoming a problem.
Pro tip: Limit watering to no more than twice a week.
Do or Do Not. There is No Try
Grass is a pretty easygoing plant. Forget to water it for the whole summer, and it’ll just go dormant (which is what it does every summer). Obviously, it’s better if you water it during its peak growing months, but don’t sweat about it if you go on vacation for six months and can’t.
But what you should never do is water-forget-water-forget-water-forget. This is incredibly stressful on the grass and it’s better if you either go all in or not at all. And besides, the chances of it never raining once during the season is highly unlikely, and a good thunderstorm or two will take care of anything you’ve forgotten about.
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Better Deep than Often
Your lawn needs about an inch of water to get thoroughly soaked, although this number obviously changes depending on the weather and soil conditions. If you live in a really hot and dry climate, you may need a bit more water. But if you live somewhere where it’s more humid — and moisture in the air doesn’t evaporate as efficiently — you may need to water a bit less.
Some tips to keep in mind include:
