When we think of lawn care, the first thing that comes to mind is watering. But what if we overwater our grass? Is it possible to water too much and kill your grass? Yes! Overwatering can cause a lot of damage and stress on your lawn including the excess water seeping into the ground and causing root rot. So how do you know when you're watering enough? This blog post will help you figure out if your grass needs to be watered and how much time can go by between each watering session.
Best Time to Water Grass
Unless you're a lawn care enthusiast, then you already know when to water your grass. But if you are not, let me tell you about the best time to water your lawn - it's not as simple as "once a week" like most people think. If it rains, wait until the rain stops before watering again. And don't forget that plants need sun and air too! The worst thing we can do for our yards is overwater them or let them dry out completely; both will lead to browning and unhealthy plants that won't grow anymore come fall. It sounds like a lot of work but trust me: doing these things regularly will make all the difference in how green and lush your yard is.
Your lawn needs about 1” - 2" of water per week! The best time to water your lawn is in the morning (before 10am). By watering in the early morning, there are many benefactors that help the growth of your lawn. Some of those factors are that it’s cooler in the mornings, which helps with evaporation, and the winds tend to be calmer so the water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate. It's suggested to water deeply only 2-3 times during the summer months. Cutting back on watering when it becomes very hot outside, as this will increase evaporation rates and can lead brown patches in your grassland if not careful with how much you put down beforehand. Yes I know that sounds crazy but there are ways around having an unruly acre or two without constantly checking up on them every day (or night). For example: If we get tons of snowfall like last year then even though most plants might seem dormant, their roots still grow slightly and might need some extra attention during these warmer days.
Signs of Overwatered Grass
The only thing worse than a brown, patchy lawn is an overwatered one. If your grass is looking more like a green swamp than the lush carpet you long for, it might be time to assess your watering habits. With a little bit of TLC, you can have the healthy lawn you've always wanted! Keep an eye out for these signs of overwatered grass, and adjust your watering schedule accordingly.
Squishy - If your grass is squishy when you walk on it a few hours after you have watered, that’s a sign!
Dead/Yellowing - Dying or yellow patches of grass
Fungus - If you are seeing an abundance of fungal growth like mushrooms
Weeds - If you are seeing an over abundance of weeds such as crabgrass, nutsedge and thatch.
Water Runoff - If you are having runoff after watering. Which means, if your water is not soaking up into the soil anymore.
How to Fix Overwatering
It’s important to fix your lawn right away when you notice it has been overwatered. Do you know how much water your type of grass is needing? How much do you get from the rain? What about your sprinkler system or water hose?
These are important questions that you will need to know to help fix your over watered lawn.
The main things that will help fix your over watered lawn is aerating and dethatching. Dethatching your lawn, it will remove dead grass from turf grass or to reduce build-up of moss in your lawn by removing competition for water and nutrients. By aerating, it will help loosen the compacted soil as well as increase nutrient uptake and promote healthier plant growth using carbohydrates to fuel the microbes, also it will provide an extra energy boost to the plants.
How Often You Should Really Water Your Grass
The best practice that will help you tremendously is to stick to a strict watering schedule. Water your lawn in the early morning hours, preferably before 10am. By doing this at this time, it’s cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate. If you must water in the evening, try between 4 and 6 p.m. which should give the grass blades time to dry before nightfall. The later you water, the greater chance of disease becoming prevalent in your lawn.
It Can Be Done!
Don’t be discouraged if you have accidentally over-watered your lawn! It can be fixed! While the signs of over watering may be subtle, it is important to identify them before more serious problems arise. If you're noticing your lawn turning brown and wilted, or if there's a lot of standing water on the surface that doesn't seem to go away after several days then you might need to address an issue with overwatering. There are many ways for homeowners to combat this problem including adjusting sprinkler timers so they don't run as often, installing drainage systems in low-lying areas, and making sure all irrigation heads have proper coverage and pressure settings. Overwatering can lead to unhealthy looking grasses which will require additional time and effort when trying to revive them through fertilizing or reseeding. So why not take the right steps now?
