Not watering enough
Grass in New England should be getting at least 1-2 inches of water per week. If it’s especially hot and sunny for an extended period of time, watering more may help protect lawns from summer dormancy.
Watering for short periods of time
Watering often but only for a few minutes a day can do more harm than good. Watering just a little does not allow the water to seep deep enough into the soil for the roots to properly absorb it. All that happens, is the roots only grow as far down as the water reaches. Brief watering promotes shallow roots that cannot absorb and store water and nutrients as well as deep, thick roots. Without strong, healthy roots, grass is more susceptible to disease, dormancy and death.
Watering At Night
Watering in the evening leaves water on the lawn’s surface for too long before the sun can evaporate any excess. This extra moisture creates the perfect environment for fungus to grow and infect the grass.
Over watering
Over watering causes similar problems to watering at night. Excessive watering leads to fungal disease. It also creates a marshy, wet turf that is unable to resist the weight of lawn mowers, fertilizer machines, or bicycles without tearing up easily.
Watering midday
Watering while the sun is out can be a serious problem. First, water evaporates too quickly before it is absorbed into the soil and roots. Next is the issue of magnification. Sunshine going through the water droplets can fry blades of grass, making any heat or drought stress seem much worse.
Watering too close after weed control application
Although we recommend watering in most of our fertilizer applications, it’s important to review your service notes to see if weed control was applied. If so, you should wait until the next day to water in the fertilizer. This gives the weed control time to be effective.
Other tips
- We’re often asked how long our customers should water their lawn and the answer is 1-2 inches a week. The issue with timing it is that 30 minutes of running irrigation may be too much or too little depending on water pressure, zone size and many other factors. Buy a rain gauge and test your irrigation times to form a routine that works best for your lawn and watering system.
- Water early in the morning. Dawn is the perfect time. This gives the water plenty of time to get down to where it needs to be for maximum efficiency while allowing the sun to evaporate any excess before it becomes harmful.
