When it comes to your lawn’s health, water is of vital importance. In fact, without ample water, your lawn is going to struggle to survive. If you want a lush, green lawn then it’s simply not a task that you can skip.
However, watering is not always quite as simple as homeowners make it out to be.
Watering the right way is important when it comes to achieving the best results. Everything from the timing of when you water to how you water will make a difference.
To help set you up for success, we’ve rounded up some of our best tips for watering lawns in Tennessee and Mississippi.
The timing of when you water is a critical factor. Though a lot of homeowners come home and decide to water after work, this can be problematic, particularly if night temperatures are over 65 degrees.
That’s because sunlight isn’t available to allow for the lawn to naturally dry up excessive moisture as it would throughout the day. The combination of moisture and heat can lead to fungal growth overnight.
Turf disease develops from an interaction between a susceptible plant, a disease-producing organism (such as a fungus) and an environment favorable for the disease-causing organism to grow. This is known as the turf disease triangle.
However, watering in the middle of the day, when the sun is its strongest, can also be problematic. Too much water will evaporate (and too quickly) before allowing the roots to take in what they need.
Because of all that, the ideal time to water the lawn is early in the morning just at sunrise or immediately beforehand. Your lawn roots will get a nice soaking before allowing the sun to naturally evaporate any excessive moisture off of leaf blandse before nightfall.
How often you water your lawn is also an important factor to consider. Instead of watering your lawn daily, we recommend watering 1 to 2 times per week if Mother Nature isn’t already providing steady, soaking rains.
Deep and less frequent watering is ideal. Watering 1 to 2 times per week will provide you with better results by giving your lawn plenty of time to dry between waterings. This also helps to reduce turf diseases.
A “soaking” is the optimal type of watering that should be performed, as opposed to occasionally watering here or there. The goal is to deeply soak your lawn until the soil is moist to a few inches of depth. The exact amount of time this will take varies depending on the size of your lawn and your sprinkler system, but could take 45-60 minutes on average.
Of course, Mother Nature will hopefully be doing some of the watering work for you. Even so, you don’t want to assume that a heavy downpour automatically means you can skip watering your lawn that week. Using a rain gauge is one of the most effective ways to measure the amount of water your grass is getting to make sure you’re in the right range.
Moisture levels can also be tested with a soil probe, which will either take a sample out of the ground or use electronic sensors to test the moisture. A DIY alternative with an object you already own would be to see how easy it is to stick a stake or a screwdriver into the ground. If you cannot easily push it in, your soil is too dry.
Make sure that you are supplementing with additional water when Mother Nature isn’t enough.
The decisions you make for your lawn are important and can make a huge difference in the success of its growth and performance. Watering is one of those factors that really can play a huge role in the overall success of your lawn. Even though it’s a simple task, it is a vital one.
When you’re investing in professional lawn care, you expect professional results. If your lawn is struggling due to not receiving enough water (or receiving it at the wrong times), then you should feel comfortable working with your lawn care company for advice and guidance on how to make improvements. You might even consider the installation of a professional irrigation system if you’re struggling to provide your lawn with all of the water it needs.
At Master Lawn, we believe that a healthy lawn is a team effort. If you ever have questions about the best time to water your lawn in Tennessee or Mississippi, how often to water it, or anything else of that nature—we are here for you.
If you’re ready to work with a lawn care company that will be there to provide you with guidance on any lawn care issues that arise, talk to a lawn care expert, choose from 3 program options, and become the master of your lawn.
