Easy Steps for Summer Lawn Watering
Summer heat in the Upstate can be brutal and suffocatingly muggy. The forecast shows rain but then it disappears. It can be hard to know how often to water your lawn in our climate. The last thing you want to do is count on the unreliable rain to keep your grass lush and green.
Having a watering schedule will not only keep your grass healthy,
but it will take away any second guessing and give you peace of mind.
The first important step is to know what type of grass you have. If you have warm season grass, you may be able to stretch the amount of weekly watering. On the other hand, cool season grass needs more frequent watering, especially if you are mowing at a lower setting.
How Often Should I Water My Yard?
- For a normal blue and sunny sky week, water every 2-3 days.
- On a shaded or clouded week, you could go every 3-4 days.
- For those heat wave, thermometer busting weeks (above 90°), you will want to water every day.
It may sound like a chore to water every day, but there’s good news: sprinklers can run on self-regulated timers! There are two types of irrigation: manually moving your hose around the yard or an in-ground sprinkler system. Maybe you enjoy getting up early to adjust your sprinkler, or maybe you prefer the convenience of not having to think about it. Either one works great, if you know your lawn is getting an even watering.
How Much Water Is Enough?
Every time you water, it’s important that the lawn gets 1/2 inch of water.
- To measure how long it takes to get to 1/2 inch, grab a few small containers with flat bottoms, like small round Tupperware or tuna cans and mark where 1/2 inch would be on each container.
- Place them in random spots around your lawn where the sprinkler or sprinklers of that section will hit them.
- You can either let the sprinklers run and check on them from time to time until it they reach around 1/2 inch, OR
- You can set the sprinklers on a timer for a certain time, for this example, let’s say 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, go out and check the height of the water in the containers. If the water is about a 1/4 inch, you know that you will need to water for another 20 minutes to get to 1/2 inch, which will be a total of 40 minutes.
Watering your yard is that simple! It can be helpful to write down how long it takes for each section of your yard, so that you don’t have to keep it in your mind. If you stick to these guidelines, your grass will not suffer from the heat and weeks of dryness. Once you get your timers all set, let your sprinklers do the work so that you can enjoy being out at the lake or going to the pool.
