How often should I water my lawn?

There are many factors that determine the amount of water your lawn needs. The type of grass you have planted, the climate you live in, the amount of rainfall you receive, daily temperatures and high winds can all have an influence. However, in addition to the amount of water you provide, it is also important to have the correct timing and duration.

Your lawn needs water to survive. If you don’t provide enough water for your lawn, it will dry out, scorch and die. On the other hand, too much water isn’t good, either. Overwatering can help weeds like dandelions take over your lawn. Many people don’t realize that watering too often can also adversely affect your lawn. If you lawn isn’t given the chance to dry out some between watering, it won’t develop a strong, deep root system.

So the key is to deliver the right amount of water at the right time.

The time of year is obviously important, since higher temperatures mean more evaporation and an increased demand for water. For example, during summer months, your lawn should receive a good, deep soaking every 4 to 5 days. If temperatures are consistently hovering around the 100 degree mark, you might need to increase to every three or four days.

The key here is to provide a good, deep soaking watering. Just giving a light watering every day will cause your lawn to develop a weak, shallow root system. By providing a deep, soaking watering less often, you encourage your lawn to develop a strong, deep, healthy root system that is better able to withstand periods of occasional drought.

If you have an automatic sprinkler system, it might be better to run it in the manual mode. How many times have you been driving through a neighborhood during a downpour and seen sprinklers going, with all the extra water running off into the street? Besides being wasteful, this can also lead to over-watering. As mentioned earlier, many weeds - especially dandelions - thrive on wet, soggy ground. A yard full of dandelions is often a sign that it is being over watered.

Another consideration is the amount of rainfall your area receives. More rain obviously means less additional water. Also, due to water shortages, many areas restrict or prohibit watering your lawn. In such cases, changing to a hardier type of grass or using more drought resistant plants instead of large expanses of lawns may be good alternatives.