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Good Watering Practices
How much water does a lawn need? In general, warm-season grasses need about 1" to 1.5" of water per week to maintain green color and active growth and cool season lawns need about 1", especially during the hotter weeks of summer.
During drought conditions, allow lawns to naturally slow down in growth during these extreme conditions. You may let the lawn go almost completely dormant in hot dry weather. Many factors such as the soil makeup and weather all play a role in the lawn's water needs.
Here are a few guidelines to follow:
Decide before hand
Decide before summer heat and drought conditions arrive, to either water lawns consistently as needed throughout the growing season, or let lawns go dormant as conditions turn hot and dry. Do not rotate back and forth. In other words, don't let the grass turn totally brown, apply enough water to green it up, then let the grass go dormant again. Breaking the lawns dormancy actually drains large amounts of food reserves from the plant.
For optimum health and appearance, a consistent watering schedule should be followed. Lawns that are allowed to go dormant, may experience dead spots that will require extensive re-construction in the fall.
When is it time to start watering
The first few warm days of summer does not automatically mean to water lawns. In fact, allowing lawns to start to go under mild drought stress actually increases rooting.
Spring usually has an abundance of rainfall, and cooler temperatures which also reduces the amount of water needed to maintain healthy growth.
As temperatures rise, and rainfall decreases, keep an eye on the actual rainfall week-to-week. During extended weeks of reduced rainfall, you might see signs of lawn stress by noticing footprints remaining on the lawn after walking across it (instead of leaf blades bouncing back up).
Dry periods also causes grass tends to change color as they go under drought stress. Taking a small sample of soil out and looking at the root zone might be another option.
Water as infrequently as possible
When you do water your lawn, thoroughly water so moisture soaks down to the root zone. Exceptions to this general rule would be for newly seeded lawns where only the surface needs to stay moist, newly sodded lawns that have not yet rooted into the soil, or when summer patch disease is a problem. Otherwise, avoid frequent watering's that promote shallower root systems and weeds (e.g., crabgrass).
Water early if possible
Given a choice, water early in the day when lawns are normally wet from dew. Avoid midday due to evaporation, and at night due to potential increased chances of some diseases.
Spread the water
uniformly across the lawn
Sprinklers vary greatly in distribution patterns, and require spray overlap for uniform coverage. Placing coffee cans or similar straight-sided containers on the lawn can help measure water application rates. Avoid flooding areas, or missing other spots. On heavy clay soils and slopes, watch for excessive runoff; it may be necessary to apply the water in several applications to allow for adequate penetration.
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