When it comes to your home, your lawn is an important part of it. It’s no surprise homeowners want to keep their yards in good shape, as it’s often one of the first things you see when you look at a property. Maintaining your lawn takes a lot of work, and that includes ensuring it’s hydrated properly. If you want to keep your yard hydrated and thriving, you need to know the best time to water it and how often. Oasis Landscaping and Irrigation values the health of your lawn, and we want to offer you the best advice and information on the best times to water your grass and keep it at peak health.
Why Should You Water Your Lawn?
Just like the plants in a garden, your grass needs water. Depending on where you live, your yard might be at risk of lacking the proper amount of water. This can lead to a lack of growth, your grass dying out early, or weeds overtaking the yard due to the soil weakening. By watering the yard, you can help ensure your grass remains healthy, lush, and free of weeds.
When to Water Your Lawn and How Often
With the approach of the summer season, the weather is expected to grow warmer. Georgia’s hot and often humid weather means there will be a significant amount of sunlight and water evaporation. With that in mind, grass requires up to 1 inch or more of water weekly, depending on the type, and should be watered two to three times a week to reach that amount. This amount of water is enough to keep the soil hydrated but will allow enough time in between for the roots to search for moisture deeper down.
In order for your watering routine to have lasting results, the best time to water your lawn is in the early morning between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. This allows the soil to absorb the water before the afternoon heat can evaporate the moisture but also gives the excess moisture time to dry before it can promote fungal growth or disease. Watering done in the morning time provides optimal moisture for the grass, creates a deeper root system, and prevents unnecessary water waste.
Factors to Consider
Aside from the time of day, there are other things to consider when finding the right time and frequency to water your lawn. Here are a few factors:
- Season and Weather: Georgia weather can sometimes be unpredictable, and that means it’s important to keep track of it. Rainy weather or dry periods can help you determine if you need to increase or decrease your watering frequency.
- Grass Type: The type of grass you have can determine how much you should water your yard. Cool-season grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass and fescue, require more water in the warmer months or else they may go dormant. For warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia, though, watering can be less frequent as they tend to be drought-tolerant.
- Soil Type: Different types of soil have varying levels of water retention ability and richness. This means you should adjust the amount of water you provide depending on their levels. Clay and silt soils retain more water, sandy soil drains quickly, and loamy soil is a balance of clay and sandy soils.
- Grass Maturity: While mature grass might not need much water, new grass needs more. With new grass seed, you need to lightly water the lawn once or twice daily, making sure the soil is moist. Depending on the type of grass, this routine can range from one to three weeks.
Risks of Watering at the Wrong Time
The early morning is the best time to water your yard for a reason. Other times can leave your grass prone to issues, either through overwatering or underwatering the yard. Here are the risks that may come from this:
Overwatering
Giving your lawn too much water can lead to a number of problems, including severe detriments to its health. Excess water can make the soil loose and unstable, cause runoff and water waste, and encourage the growth of fungi and other lawn diseases. If your yard feels spongy or has yellow or brown patches, it might be a sign you’re overwatering.
Underwatering
A lack of water is also damaging to your yard. With little to no moisture, your soil can become compacted, leading to the root system being unable to get the right amount of oxygen or water it needs. Lingering footprints and dry, yellowing grass might mean you need to increase your lawn’s water intake.
Ways to Keep Your Lawn Regularly Watered
A healthy yard relies on the care you put into watering it, but it can be difficult when you aren’t always there at the time it may need it. This is where irrigation systems come in, to help you provide the water your lawn needs regularly and efficiently. These are a few systems we work with that can help you stay on top of your lawn care routine:
Sprinkler Systems
Sprinkler systems are an efficient way to keep your lawn hydrated while conserving water. These can be installed to target your yard directly, and programmed to turn on or off at a designated time. Whether you’re away from home or out of town, your yard can get the water it needs on a regular schedule.
Drip Irrigation
If you’re looking for a more focused irrigation system, a drip irrigation system can help with that. It distributes the correct amount of water slowly to the area you want, and reduces water waste. This system can also be programmed to distribute water at a designated time, keeping your routine on time and saving you money.
Smart Irrigation Systems
If you’re looking for the most optimized way to stay on top of your watering routine and to keep track of when you need to adjust it, there are smart irrigation systems designed for that. These systems monitor the environment, measure rainfall, conserve water, and minimize issues in the event of damage. Using apps through smart devices, you can program these systems to your liking on the go, without having to be near your home. They offer sustainable irrigation solutions, and can shut off in the event of a rupture, saving you water and money.
Trust Oasis With Your Irrigation Solutions
Your yard is an important part of your landscaping, and we want it to look its best while keeping it healthy. Oasis Landscaping and Irrigation has been providing irrigation solutions and maintenance since 1989, bringing you satisfying, sustainable results. Contact our expert team at Oasis today for your irrigation or landscaping needs!
