Proper watering is one of the basics of lawn care that includes regular moving and weeding. Without water, lawn grass may survive for around ten to twelve days, after which, these plants will show symptoms of water deficiency, like wilting, yellowing and browning of leaves. While people are found to be so particular about watering their lawn, most of them lack awareness about the best time to water lawn and how much water is needed for the purpose.
When is the Best Time to Water Your Lawn
As mentioned above, watering is one of the most important part of maintaining a healthy lush green lawn. But, there are various factors that haven to be taken into consideration, while watering grass. You must have a basic understanding about the water requirements of the grass and the best time to water the grass. Early morning (4:00 to 5:00 am) is considered the best time to water lawn. This is because of the fact that the plants get enough time to absorb the water, before it evaporates with sunlight. If that time is not convenient for you, it will be better to water the lawn during late afternoon or early evening. In such case, make sure to water the grass well before night, so that the leaves get dry by night.
Never water lawn grass during daytime and night. During day, most of the water will get evaporated and during night, the leaves will remain wet, thereby leading to fungal infections and other diseases.
How Much to Water the Lawn
Another common query about watering lawn is regarding the amount of water required by the grass. In this case too, there are various factors like the type of soil, climatic condition and the type of lawn grass. In general, it is said that lawn grass require around one inch of water in a week. While the common practice is to water the lawn daily with lesser amounts of water. Most people think that providing small amounts of water every day is better than watering deeply occasionally. But, the latter method is beneficial for lawn grass, that has to be soaked well once a week, with at least one inch of water. However during rainy seasons, you can reduce the frequency of watering. But, in case of young plants, daily watering will be beneficial, for at least two months.
If you are planning to mow the grass, then, water the lawn thoroughly, the day before mowing. Frequent watering may be required for a short period, after using dry fertilizers. You may also dilute the nutrients in the water meant for lawns. You may also get confused about how long to water lawn, so that the grass gets one inch of water. In such case, keep some empty cans within the range of the sprinkler and check the time the sprinkler takes to collect one inch water in these cans. This will be the time needed for the sprinkler to provide one inch water for the lawn.
In short, the best time to water lawn is early morning. For established grass, watering once a week will be sufficient and young plants require frequent watering. In general, the frequency of watering grass can be increased in case of extreme heat, sunlight, drought and high winds. Likewise, reduce the frequency during cold conditions, low winds, humidity and rainy season. Lawn aeration will be beneficial, if the soil is too dry to absorb water. You may gain more knowledge about this subject from the local nursery authorities, who will be in a better position to advice you, as they know more about the climatic conditions and soil and grass type.
