I enjoy monitoring my lawn's water needs and I remember my own learning curve as I slowly began to understand the gray areas. Literally, parts of my Zoysia lawn turn gray when it's going dry!
Join me as we unpack this and other nuances of how and when to efficiently water lawns.
👍 First, my rules of thumb: I irrigate consistently every week during high summer, in the morning just before sunrise, and I water a long as I can so the water percolates deeply into the soil while avoiding runoff (which is wasteful and I hate that). I monitor rainfall and turn my irrigation off and on according to how many inches are in my rain gauge. I water less often during moderate or cloudy weeks of summer, also less frequently in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall.
When to Water Your Lawn
Proper use of irrigation water to fill the gaps between rainfalls is critical to a healthy lawn. Efficient use of this important natural resource will keep water bills lower.
Water in the Morning
You're heard "water in the morning," I'm sure. There are several advantages to this timing, however some confusion surrounds when exactly is the morning. In context of watering lawns and gardens, the morning is:
- Start just before sunrise - in the summer that's around 5:30 AM. Yes, 1:00 AM is technically the morning but then water sits on leaves in the dark for hours before evaporation. The goal of watering in the morning is to avoid water sitting on leaves for very long.
- Complete watering around 10:00 AM, to coincide with when dew naturally evaporates.
- If you cannot complete all zones in one day, separate some into another day.
- Absolutely avoid watering in the late afternoon or evenings because water will sit on the leaves all night.
Morning Watering Reduces Diseases
Why the fuss about water on leaves? Isn't this natural?
The fuss is because water on grass blades increases fungal activity, such as the "patch" diseases like large patch and brown patch. Yes, evening rainfall is natural and unavoidable if you're in an area that gets afternoon storms, but as gardeners and lawn whisperers, it's in our power to avoid irrigating at that time and thus avoid augmenting any issues.
Morning Watering Reduces Water Loss
Watering in the morning reduces water loss from displacement by wind and rapid evaporation from direct sunlight.
- Winds are usually still in the mornings, before the sun heats the earth and generates breezes. By watering when the winds are calmer, less of your irrigation water will be blown away from your lawn.
- Natural summer heat and the heat from direct sunlight will cause your precious irrigation water to evaporate before it reaches the ground.
Irrigating in the morning conserves this precious natural resource and saves you money, but you've probably noticed it is a bit of a dance around timing. You want to water at a time when the water will not remain on the leaves too long, while giving the water enough time to percolate into the root zone before evaporating. Thus, watering just before sunrise around 5:30 AM and before 10:00 AM is the sweet spot!
Water When a Lawn has Drought Stress
I struggle with a "hot spot" in my Zoysia lawn due to compaction during new home construction. It turns gray and the leaves start curling before the typical signs of drought stress, that being turning brown and curling even more. If I notice that gray color developing, I provide supplemental watering just to that area - I have to weigh my odds - I try to water it only in the mornings but if I'm going out of town, I am willing to take the risk and water it in the afternoon.
Irrigate According to Municipal Water Restrictions
Please be a good citizen and follow your city ordinances about watering schedules. They usually specify watering only in the mornings and on certain days, depending on your address. Typically the schedules are listed on municipality water websites.
How to Water Lawns
There are two basic kinds of sprinkler systems:
- Automatic lawn irrigation: The most efficient method of irrigating a lawn is through an underground lawn sprinkler system. It is a good investment in your lawn as well as the value of your home. A professionally installed system should be designed for complete and even distribution, have battery back-up for any timing devices, and a rain sensor to stop the system when rain occurs.
- Portable hose-end sprinklers: These systems are less expensive than under-ground systems. Sprinklers may be either "portable surface" (the most common) requiring moving the sprinkler to each area of the lawn or "traveling sprinkler," one that follows the hose or a cable around the lawn. Both types of sprinklers need frequent observation to avoid mis-application and water waste.
Automatic Lawn Irrigation - Pop-up sprinklers installed before sod is laid.
How Much to Water Lawns
As a general rule, keeping your lawn healthy requires 1 inch of water weekly, including rainfall. Water once every 2 to 3 days in dry weather (about 1/2 inch at each application). If one or more inches of rainfall occur in a week, additional irrigation is not necessary. (Example: if 1/2 inch of rain occurs within a growing week, apply 1/2 inch by irrigation.)
Heavy clay soils will require less water and less frequent applications than sandier soils.
Water as deeply as possible without causing run-off. Water to supplement rainfall shortages only. Avoid fixed timer irrigation settings. Do not waste water by over watering; avoid standing water for any period of time.
To determine how much water you are applying, place gauge midway between the sprinkler and the end of the coverage and check water depth in the gauge after a planned length of time (approximately 1/2 hour), then calculate the total time needed to apply 1/2 inch.
Watering Tips at a Glance
How to Water When Installing Sod:
- Water new sod as you lay it. Read further about Watering Sod During Installation.
Watering Tips for Brand New Lawns:
- Water enough to keep it wet like a sponge until it roots in. Refer to our complete tips on Watering Brand New Sod.
Watering Tips for Established Lawns:
- Water deeply and infrequently. Proper use of sprinkler water will result in a healthier and attractive lawn and lower water bills.
- Consider spot watering localized dry spots instead of the entire lawn.
- Water areas on mounds and berms and near buildings more often, where reflected heat dries the turf.
- Avoid irrigating until water runs off the lawn surface and on to walks and roads.
- Tree shaded areas may require more water to support both trees and turf grasses.
- Avoid standing water for any period of time.
What to do When There's a Drought:
- Consider letting the lawn go dormant in drought conditions; Zoysia, Centipede and Bermudagrass lawns will regenerate once water is more available.
- Click here to read about Surviving Drought.
- Remove thatch so that water easily reaches the soil around turf plants.
- Consider switching to the drought tolerant TifTuf Bermuda.
When Landscaping:
- Select the drought tolerant TifTuf Bermuda.
- Put sod, groundcovers, and bushes on steep slopes in lawns so that water does not run off rapidly.
Water & Mowing - What to Do:
- Avoid scalping your lawn.
- Always use a sharp blade.
- In drought conditions, mow at a higher cutting height with a sharp blade.
- Use robotic lawn mowers for less water loss and stress on your lawn.
Water & Fertilizing:
- Fertilize lawn at proper rate for your location and turf selection, to prevent run-off of excess fertilizer.
- Aerate heavy soils to promote better fertilizer and water penetration to lawn roots.