Basic Lawn Care - Watering
Healthy lawns of course require water. But how much and how often are important for maintaining effective and efficient irrigation. Here are some basic steps for ensuring proper lawn watering for most areas.
How Much ?
Most lawns require about 1" per week of water from rain or watering. It can help to position tin cans in your yard or use a rain gauge to moderate.
A rain gauge make a nice addition to the landscape and is a great gift for the serious gardener. Make sure you are watering evenly.
How Often ?
Deep infrequent watering (once or twice a week) is much better than frequent shallow watering. This promotes deeper root growth which yields stronger, healthier lawns that can also better sustain periods of dry weather.
When ?
In most areas it's best to water in the early morning. This allows plenty of time for the lawn to dry and avoids the wind and hot sun of the afternoon which can cause it to evaporate too quickly. Nighttime watering is not normally recommended as wet lawns can breed fungus and disease. Certain dry hot areas may actually benefit from later in the day watering when cooler temperatufes prevail.
