Watering is always an important part of the health of your lawn.
Whether it be by rain or by mechanics. And it is always a good idea to water in after an application of fertilizer, seed, or herbicide. So how much should you water? When should you water? How often? Let’s look at some of those answers below.
Basic principles
The general rule of thumb is that your lawn needs at least 1”-1 ½” of water per week, during the growing season here in Iowa. It is always a good idea to water deeply 2-3 times per week, rather than daily. It is also smart to water as early in the morning as you can, when possible because this will prevent water from sitting on into the night which can promote fungus or disease in your lawn. Another good rule of thumb is that if you can’t push a 6” screwdriver into your lawn, you’re not watering enough. This is especially true during the dry, hot parts of the Summer. You will need to water more in the heat, especially if you have a fescue lawn. If you aren’t sure which type of grass you have, you can always do a quick Google search to find out. Most Iowa lawns have Fescue, Rye, or Kentucky Bluegrass. You also don’t want to drown your lawn either. Don’t water so long that your flooding the sidewalks and water runs down the street. While your lawn needs a good amount of water to stay healthy, think of it like a sponge, once it has what it needs, any excess past that is a waste.
What about when it rains?
First, how do you know how much rain you’re getting? The practical first step is to purchase a rain gauge. As long as you are getting about an inch of water in it per week then you are sitting good. If not, then you should be watering to make up for the lack of rainfall. How long should you water to get one inch? There is not a black and white clear blanket answer for that, because only you know what kind of sprinkler you have and what the pressure is like that comes from your hose. A safe assumption is that with automatic sprinklers, it’s usually one hour. However, you can measure that yourself. A chicken or tuna can is 1” tall, take an empty can and place it where the bulk of the water out of your sprinkler is hitting. Just like a rain gauge, see how long it takes for the can to fill up to half an inch. Typically we find that it takes about half an hour. So 30 minutes, 3 times per week will get a 1 ½” of water on your lawn. You always want to keep in mind that during the hot summer months when water evaporates faster and your grass is thirsty, you should water longer. As was mentioned earlier, you want to water deeply 2-3 times a week, rather than daily in a shallow manner. Watering deeply 2-3 times a week will encourage deep root growth.
Conclusion
In the end, you are the one walking by your lawn on a daily basis, no one knows your property or gets to interact with it the way you get to. The point being, when in doubt, your eyes will tell the story and so will your lawn. If your lawn appears dry and thirsty, use the guidelines above and give it water. As long as you follow these basic principles, your lawn will thank you for it.
