Lawn Watering 101
Whether you ask, “how much water does my lawn need” or “will my lawn recover from this disease” the answer is always the same. The most important part of having a beautiful lawn is having a healthy lawn. Whatever is your seasonal challenge, a healthy lawn can fight back.
A strong and healthy lawn is much more able to withstand extreme summer weather conditions like excessive rain or drought. Which brings us to and often asked question for #askpaul.
How much water does my lawn need?
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 can relax a little. Southern grasses like above can survive for weeks without water.
Don’t get too relaxed…
Even your strong and healthy lawn of Southern grass needs some water now and then. When you have let things go for too long, it will go dormant and turn brown.
What does dormant mean?
Dormant doesn’t mean your lawn is dead, it is just resting and saving its’ energy. Once your lawn gets water (whether from rain or your watering) it will recover.
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. If your lawn is going dormant because we are too lazy to turn on the sprinklers, follow these simple guides.
Lawn watering guides:
- 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.
You can make it even easier!
There are now “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.
Lawn and Pest Solutions can get your Southern grass lawn to a healthy state that can withstand extreme conditions. You can keep it healthy by following our simple watering guide. Give us a call and we will send a licensed lawn technician your way. We serve neighborhoods and businesses from Memphis, Tennessee to all over North Mississippi with our Lawn 360 program.