It’s that time of year again: the weather has turned hot (well, hotter than the rest of the seasons) and your yard might be beginning to look a little worse for the wear. This is often because of a lack of adequate watering. This is part of a routine maintenance schedule and something that can turn a brown, dry yard into something utterly gorgeous and head-turning. But how long should you water your lawn exactly? Is a few minutes enough? What happens if you water too much?
And when should you water? Let’s look at each of these questions below, starting with the importance of watering.
Why is watering your lawn important?
The importance of watering might seem like an obvious detail, but hear us out. Often, homeowners don’t know there is a problem with their yards until it shows up. Often, one day they’ll look out and realize that their grass is brown, crunchy, and full of weeds. This is a problem that could be mitigated with a regular watering schedule. How long you should water your lawn is a question coming up, so hang with us.
What we want you to understand now is that like any other plant, your grass needs water to survive. This is true for virtually all types, and as the summer wears on, you’ll want to develop a routine schedule to stay on top of it.
Is a few minutes per day enough?
So how much water is enough? Should you only water your lawn for a few minutes? Let’s talk about our own bodies as an analogy.
Standard science tells us that most people should have around sixty-four ounces of water per day. This is around three full stainless steel water bottles or four plastic ones.
How do you feel if you only drink half of one bottle per day? You might feel tired, exhausted, parched, or even have a slightly fuzzy head.
That’s what your yard feels like — metaphorically speaking, of course — if you only water your lawn for a few minutes. It’s like getting a sip of water and trying to survive. In most cases, the volume of water would barely reach the soil itself, which is where you want the water to be hitting so that it can penetrate deep into the roots of your lawn.
Should I water my lawn for hours at a time?
Before we answer this question, we want to define what you mean by hours. If you mean you plan to let your sprinkler system run all night long, this probably isn’t a good idea. There is such a thing as watering your lawn too much, and that’s exactly what this type of schedule would lead to.
Remember, you want enough water to get down to the roots of your lawn system, but you don’t want to flood it.
What happens if you water too much?
As we just alluded to, how long you should water your lawn is dependent on several factors. However, at the end of the day, you don’t want to drown your yard. Even if your lawn is mostly brown and not growing, you can still water it too much, killing out what is left of your root system and leading to even more problems down the road such as mold, mildew, and unwanted insects including mosquitos.
When should you water each day?
This is another factor in your watering schedule. Have you ever heard someone say something to the effect of “I don’t want the sun to bake my plants”? If so, what they meant is that, when you water during the sun’s peak hours, you can scald your lawn. This can lead to bigger problems, possibly even a complete replanting of your yard.
The best time to water your lawn is overnight. Once the sun goes down and your family is done in the yard for the day, turn on the sprinklers. Better yet, use an automated timer so that it comes on after everyone goes to bed. This will allow the water to penetrate deep into the roots without risking any damage to the grass blades themselves.
Okay, so then how long should you water your lawn?
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, most lawns will want between an inch to an inch and a half of water per week. To achieve this, you’ll want to let your sprinkler system automatically run for a half hour to forty-five minutes on average.
We say on average because there are always mitigating factors that might require a longer or shorter duration. However, we cannot think of any situation where you would run your sprinkler system for longer than an hour or less than twenty minutes.
What are a few other considerations to keep in mind?
There are a few other factors to consider. As we’ve mentioned, one of those is the health of your lawn.
Another one is whether you’ve recently overseeded, if your lawn has a significant volume of thatch, or if your sprinkler system needs repair and service. Each of these, among others, can have a direct impact on the effectiveness of your watering schedule, which is why it’s often a great idea to work with a lawn service company that can manage all of these problems for you as they arise.
Contact our team to take the stress off of your shoulders!
Sun Power Lawn Care has been serving the Gainesville, FL region and surrounding communities for many years with our high-quality lawn care services. Some of those day-to-day maintenance tasks can take up a lot of your time, which is why many area residents rely on us for assistance.
We’ll take the stress off of your shoulders, managing all aspects of your yard’s lawn care. Rather than worrying about how long you should water your lawn, turn to Sun Power Lawn Care. Let our team handle this aspect, along with regular mowing and other maintenance, for you.
Ready to get started? Then send us a message here requesting a free quote and we’ll be in touch ASAP with more information!
Here are some great resources to help your lawn look its best:
How & When to Aerate Lawn: A Comprehensive Guide to Timing Your Lawn Aeration
Pawsitively Green: Tips and Tricks to Shield Your Lawn from Dog Urine Damage