While lawns are quite resilient in nature, one thing that they can’t live without is water. That means watering your lawn properly is one of the most important things that you can do.
It can literally make or break your lawn’s success.
Since most people in Memphis, TN and Northern MS do understand the importance of lawn watering, we often get a number of questions such as how much to water a lawn or how to best perform this service. There are also differences when it comes to watering sod vs. watering grass seed vs. watering an established lawn.
To help guide you in some answers, we’ve rounded up some useful advice.
Properly watering grass seed after aeration and overseeding is important when it comes to ensuring its success. Failing to water properly can have a negative impact including the overall failure for your new grass to grow.
Prior to germination, grass seed requires less water but more frequently. The goal for the first 7 to 10 days is just to keep the top ½” of ground moist so that you’re not allowing the seeds to dry out. This is best performed with a sprinkler system that provides slow, even amounts of water.
The exact amount of time needed to keep your ground moist is really dependent upon how much rainfall is occurring naturally, how much sunlight your lawn gets, and other factors, including even the wind speed. If there hasn’t been much rain, it could mean running the system twice a day for 10 or 15 minutes at a time as a possible example of what it would take to keep the ground moist. However, it’s best to check on your ground and your grass seed and ensure that it’s not drying out. Then you can customize your watering needs.
Of course, lawn watering needs change with time. As your grass grows, you’ll want to switch from watering less frequently to using more water. Initially, this could mean running a sprinkler for up to an hour a few times a week in order to help support that new growth.
As time goes on, and your grass becomes established, the watering goal we generally recommend is around 1-2 inches of water per week for common grass species in Memphis, TN like Bermudagrass, Zoysia, and Turf Type Tall Fescue.
Watering sod is a little bit different because it’s fully grown grass but it’s not yet established on your property.
Because sod is no small investment, you definitely want to make sure that you’re supporting your new lawn’s watering needs. The biggest risk for sod is that it could dry out on excessively hot days (which we certainly have).
You should regularly check on your sod and make sure it’s being kept somewhere between “damp” and “wet” where its roots meet the soil. While you don’t want your sod to be excessively soaked (as grass will not grow roots in waterlogged soil), it shouldn’t be drying out, either. You want to make sure that the sod is well-supported as it aims to establish a root system on your property.
As we mentioned, a sprinkler is usually the best delivery method for water as it simulates rainfall. It’s also much less taxing than standing in your lawn with a hose. However, a home sprinkler, attached to a hose, still means setting a timer and dragging it around the lawn.
For that reason, you might be considering a professional irrigation system. There’s no question this can take the guesswork out of the lawn watering process. You can make sure your system is set to receive exactly what it needs and when it needs it.
Our sister company, Michael Hatcher & Associates, installs irrigation systems if that is something that you’re considering.
The best lawns are those that are green, have limited weeds, and are thick and thriving. So much of this has to do with a great lawn care program—but it also has to do with watering. All of these services work hand-in-hand.
At Master Lawn, we want to be sure that you’re getting the great lawn results that you wish for but we also know that our efforts can only go so far. Truly getting the best-looking lawn also means proper lawn watering. That’s why we often leave watering guides or suggestions behind if we feel our clients’ lawns need better watering. It’s just one of many ways we’re looking to partner with you on the best results.
In fact, if you ever have additional questions about how to water the lawn, we’re here for you. We know that a healthy lawn is a team effort and we want to work with you to get the results that you’re wishing for.
Is your wish for a healthy and thriving lawn? Talk to a lawn care expert, choose from 3 program options, and become the master of your lawn!
