5 Lawn Watering Tips for a Lovely Lawn

Getting a gorgeous lawn without wasting water takes some strategy and planning. It’s more than just turning the sprinklers on and off. You need to understand your lawn’s needs, the soil and your sprinkler system. It can be complicated, so contact AllGreen Landscape Co. in Chantilly at (703) 992-8787 for expert lawn care help, and follow these 5 tips today:

1. When to Water the Lawn

Avoid watering the lawn at night to prevent rot and disease. Also avoid watering during the hottest part of the day (the afternoon) because heat will evaporate much of the water before it reaches the roots. The key is to water between 6 and 10 a.m. This gives the soil a chance to absorb the water so the roots can dig deeper.

2. Ideal Watering Depth

The ideal depth for an established lawn is between 6 and 8 inches. You can usually do this by adding one inch of water a week, whether you do it all at the same time or add ½-inch of water on two different applications.

3. Measuring Watering Depth

Most sprinkler systems have a flow-rate number provided by the manufacturer that explains how many gallons the system puts out to the lawn per minute. If you know the flow rate, multiply the square feet of your lawn by 0.62 and divide it by the flow rate number. This gives you the number of minutes you need to run the sprinklers. If you don’t know the flow rate, you can try two other methods:

• Digging: Use a spade to dig a hole about 6-inches deep in an inconspicuous area of your yard that is still covered by sprinklers. Check the moisture level every 15 minutes and record how long it takes to make the soil truly damp at the 6 to 8-inch level.
• Cans: Use clean, empty food cans of the same type and mark them at one-inch from the bottom. Set these in different areas around the lawn. Run the sprinklers for 15 minutes at a time, and then check the average depth of water in the cans. Do this for a few days to arrive at the amount of time you need to water the lawn.

4. Newly-Seeded and Plugged Lawns Need More Water

Seeds and plugs need extra water for the roots to dig down and establish themselves properly. The top inch of soil should remain damp, but not to the point it gets muddy. Run the sprinklers in short stints throughout the day so it stays damp. As sprouts emerge, keep the first two inches of soil damp. As the blades get to be about 3 inches long, establish a 6 to 8-inch watering system to encourage deep root growth.

5. Know Your Soil and Grass Types

It may be hard to tell what sort of grass you have if you didn’t plant it, so contact AllGreen Landscape Co. for a lawn care assessment in Chantilly. Generally speaking, cooler-weather grasses require more watering, or you can withhold water and let the lawn go dormant over the summer. Don’t worry! It will green up again when the rain returns in the fall. Warm weather grasses are usually more drought tolerant. Also realize that your soil type can determine how much water you need. Sandy soil drains well, but clay can hold on to water for a long time. And remember, if the weather is wet, you turn off the sprinklers for a day. Just remember to check for water depth in the soil.

For a customized lawn care assessment, contact AllGreen Landscaping Co. in Chantilly today: (703) 992-8787.