How much water does my lawn need? The answer to that is fairly simple. If you have a common Southern grass like Zoysia, St. Augustine, Bermuda and Centipede, your lawn doesn’t really need a lot of water. These grasses have deep root systems that allow them to withstand drought. If your lawn is healthy and established, you are mostly off the hook. 

That seems a little too good to be true.

If you have those Southern grasses like above, they really can survive for weeks without water. Now, it won’t be pretty…they will go dormant and turn brown. Once they get water (whether from rain or your watering) they will recover. Remember that going dormant doesn’t mean your lawn is dead, it is just resting and saving its’ energy. 

Dormant lawns aren’t very attractive.

It’s true. No one wants to work all year (or invest in the upkeep!) on a lawn that turns brown because we are too lazy to turn on the sprinklers. Instead of letting that happen, here are a few guidelines to help you with watering.

• If your lawn looks a little gray or dull, water it! 
• If you walk across your lawn and your footprints stay sunken, water it!
• Water your lawn before 10:00 a.m. when the weather is cooler. This gives the water time to soak in and evaporate with wind and sun.
• Or…water in the afternoon around 6:00 p.m. allowing the grass to dry before it gets dark.
• Instead of watering once a week and possibly “overwatering”, divide your watering between two times a week.
• As long as your lawn gets 1-1.5 inches of rain/water per week, your lawn will be fine.

If you are into high tech lawn systems…

Today we have “smart” options that allow you to program your watering systems. You can water your lawn from your smart phone and even link it to the local weather system to water at the exactly right time. 

Starting with a healthy lawn is the most important part of having a beautiful lawn. A strong and healthy lawn is much more able to withstand extreme summer weather conditions. Whether that is high temperatures or excessive rain or drought, a healthy lawn can fight back.

Lawn and Pest Solutions can get your lawn to that healthy status.  You can keep it that way with some simple watering tips. Give us a call and we will send a licensed lawn technician ASAP. We serve neighborhoods and businesses from Memphis to all over North Mississippi. 

Have you ever read an online recipe that seems simple and easy? Then you read the comments and before you know it, the “suggestions” make you order a pizza instead? This is what happens if you read too many articles on “How much should I water my lawn?”

Do I have to?

Well, it depends. Our common grasses in the South (Zoysia, St. Augustine, Bermuda and Centipede) have deep root systems. A deep root system typically allows our lawns to withstand drought. If you have an established, healthy lawn, you don’t really have to water. These types of lawns can go dormant and survive for weeks without water. They will turn brown, but once water (rain) returns, they will recover! 

How do I know when my lawn needs a drink?

After a rainy season in the South, it seems like we will never need to water our lawn. Just remember, July is coming! But there are ways to know when your lawn needs “a drink”. If your lawn looks a little gray or dull, water it! If you walk across your lawn and your footprints stay sunken, give it a drink!

When do I water my lawn?

Get up and get going, water your lawn before 10:00 a.m. when it is cooler.  You need this calm time of day to let the water soak in before it evaporates with sun and wind later. Maybe you like to come home from work and water as you unwind. Try to get watering done before 6:00 p.m. so the blades of grass can dry before dark. 

Let’s keep it simple this time.

If your lawn gets 1” to 1.5” of water in a week per week, your lawn will be fine. Whether the water comes from a good rainfall or a really high tech system, it all counts the same. If you are watering, it is really best if you can divide your waterings into two per week. 

Maybe you aren’t into “simple”

If dragging out the old green hose and spraying your yard is too old fashioned, there are plenty of options. Old fashioned sprinklers are still around, but today you have “smart” options that allow you to program your watering systems. You can even water your lawn from your smart phone if you want to show off at the baseball game. Some smart systems are even linked to the local weather systems info and will water at the most perfect moments. 

Did this information send you to the watering hole?

Hopefully not. If you are really into it, there are so many articles with more information, You can become a lawn scientist or a lawn watering mathematician, but like a simple recipe, why ruin it? Start with a healthy lawn, and we at Lawn and Pest Solutions can get you to that point. Keep your lawn healthy with some simple watering tips above. Do a little research, get a little help. Give us a call. We can send a licensed lawn technician over, get you a quote and have you watering that lush green lawn in no time at all. We serve the areas from Memphis to all over North Mississippi.