Lawn Watering – Tips and Tricks

Now that we are heading into mid-summer, there are plenty of bright, sunny days to enjoy. While sun makes your plants look beautiful, water is what they really need now.

So far, this summer has been hotter than average — and even though it’s also been rainier than average, your lawn may look like it’s less than healthy. If your lawn is losing its deep green color, or the blades don’t spring back up after you’ve stepped on your grass, then it’s time to begin watering. Remember — if we have a good, soaking rain, you can skip watering for a few more days. 

Watering Every Day Won’t Help
It’s common to see people dragging their sprinklers to a different location every morning or night, turning on the water for 15 minutes at a time. We know that it seems like the right thing to do because a little water every day is good, right? Actually, it’s not the best practice. That’s because a bit of water each day does nothing for the roots of your grass plants. The roots take up the water and nutrients into the grass. Shallow roots don’t reach far enough into the ground to get everything they need from the soil, and they aren’t strong enough to tolerate a hot summer.

Water a few times a week for at least a half hour. Your grass should get 1-1 1/2 inches of water per week. This keeps your grass green and healthy.

Morning Is the Best Time to Water
Homeowners are sometimes surprised to hear that morning is the best time to water. After all, won’t the water simply evaporate before the sun starts to dry it up? It turns out that morning is still the coolest part of the day. Once it’s light out, it is time to start watering. Even if the humidity is high all day, that doesn’t push more water to the roots. If you water in the evening, you could be opening your lawn to turf diseases that tend to flourish under the evening’s cool, wet conditions.

Know Your Soil
Parts of western Pennsylvania has soil that is made of heavier clay. Clay soil holds water better than looser soil, so less watering is required. If your soil is mostly clay, you should make sure you aren’t wasting your water — and driving up your water bill — by over-watering it.

What Kind of System Should you Use?
Whether you have an in-ground irrigation system, sprinklers, or you simply use a hose, it’s more important that you water heavily a few times a week and water in the morning.

If you have more questions about the hows and whys of watering your lawn during the summer, call Superior Lawn Care. We’re happy to help our customers keep their properties looking their best. We service all of southwestern PA, including Indiana, Belle Vernon, Moon Township, North Huntington, Upper St. Clair, Penn Township, and Cranberry and Wexford. Give us a call today.