Most of us are worried about our lawns drying out in the heat of the summer. However, over watering can be much more hazardous to your lawn than under watering! Do you wonder if you are turning on the sprinkler a little too often? Here are five signs your lawn has had more than enough water.
Sign Number One - Squish
If you watered your lawn hours ago and it still goes squish under your feet, either your lawn is getting too much water or, your soil is compacted. Compacted soil stays soggy when wet, gets rock-hard during drought conditions, develops bare spots and weeds proliferate. In either case, aerifying is called for.
Properly treated soil allows water retention at and below the root level. The blades of grass account for 70% of the water storage for the grass. Water retained in the soul will continually replace moisture lost thru evaporation caused by heat and air movement. As a result, a well-aerated lawn will require 50% less water saving you time and money.
Sign Number Two - Runoff
If you are watering your lawn so aggressively the soil cannot absorb the water and water is instead running off into the street or other parts of your yard, once again, aerifying is called for.
This is a sign of extreme compaction.
Sign Number Three – A Wilted Lawn
This one can be confusing because some of the signs that your lawn needs water–like not springing back up when you step on it and blades of grass are curling – can also be signs of overwatering. Use common sense. If you have been dousing your lawn and it still looks like it "needs water," it is most likely wilted from overwatering.
Sign Number Four - Fungus
Fungal lawn diseases take advantage of moist conditions to spread and thrive. If your lawn has a blight, mold, or patch problem, you are probably overwatering. You could also be watering at the wrong time of day early morning is the best time to water. This is when surface moisture can evaporate. Watering at night allows moistures sits on the lawn for hours before the sunrises.
Sign Number Five - Chlorosis
When Iron chlorosis occurs, there will be a yellowing of the grass. Photosynthesis is hampered. Nutrient uptake watering frequency. Early morning (4 to 6am) is the best time to irrigate.
Non-Aerated Soil Requirements
Soil Type
Infiltration Inch Per Hour
Hours For 1 Inch To Soak In
Sand
2.0
0.5
Sandy Loam
1.0
1.0
Loam
0.5
2.0
Silt Loam
0.4
2.25
Clay Loam
0.3
3.3
Clay
0.2
5.0
Watering Rate
How do you determine your watering rate?
I place tin cans (aluminum cans will blow away and/or tip over easily) randomly around my lawn. After a watering session, I measure how deep the water is in each location. I average the depths to get one value. That value is the average rate for the lawn for the elapsed time. If I water for two hours and there is an average of 2.0 inch, the watering rate is 1.0 inch per hour.
Watering new seed or sod
When installing new grass seed or sod you must keep the soil moist for it to survive. It is OK to water frequently (2 to 3 time a day) for a short period of time (10 to 15 min.) to keep the soil moist. This will promote rapid seed germination and root development. Typically, these watering habits should only be used until the root system of the new grass has started to develop. Once the roots have started to develop, you should follow the regular water guidelines.
is slowed. This is caused when runoff raises soil pH. Soil at 6.8 or above tends to bind iron to the soil making it unavailable to the plants. Iron is what makes your grass "green".
Established lawn watering should be done when grass shows the following signs:
- The leaf blades are folded in half lengthwise-this is the grasses way of conserving moisture.
- Footprints remain visible after it has been walked on
When you do water, water deeply; soil should be moist two inches below the root zone. Root length and grass height are directly related. If you mow at three inches, the soil should be moist to a depth of five inches. This generally requires about 1 inch of water and should last 7 to 10 days. Monitor your lawn for the above signs to determine
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