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How To Water Your Lawn
Water is center of all life on earth. In the heart of the Canadian summer, water becomes the biggest issue in lawn care. Surprisingly, most people kill off their lawns through over watering during the hot summer or not enough watering. Even the best lawn care program makes little to no result if the lawn is not watered properly.
We waste a lot of ground water through run-off from poor, hard soils (this is one reason aeration is so important) or by simply watering the lawn in the afternoon heat, when it evaporates before the soil can absorb it. Knowing when to water your grass, how often, and how much can help you maintain a beautiful, green lawn throughout the season.
Assess Your Lawn
Not all lawns are the same and as a result, not all lawns need the same amount of water. It's important to know that your lawn's health depends as much on soil conditions as on the kind of seed you use.
In worst-case water-shortage scenarios, Centipede grass, Bermuda grass, and Bahia and St. Augustine grasses have relatively modest needs. These grass varieties, depending on summer temperatures, can actually survive quite well if left unwatered up to 3 weeks.
Carpet Grass, Tall Fescue, Fine Fescue, Kikuyu, and Zoysia grass are moderately tolerant. If you've planted any of these grasses, you can stop watering for a week without damaging your lawn.
Kentucky blue grass, Bent grass, and Perennial rye grass are water guzzlers. Don't let them go without water for more than four or five days, especially in hot weather.
How Much To Water
The thickness of the thatch and the composition of the soil really determines whether your water will penetrate down to the roots of your lawn or simply run off or evaporate without doing much good.
Thatch can create a terrible cycle. If there is more than a half inch, the thatch will thicken from over watering while keeping water from reaching healthy grass roots during critical growing seasons (this is a very good reason to power rake your lawn) .
Watering in the early morning hours is said to be up to ten times more effective than any other time of day. This is important. Start your watering early before the heat of the day.
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How To Water a Lawn On a Steep Slope or Grade
If you're a home owner with a slope or grade in your yard, you know first hand how difficult it is to water. Many basement-built houses often elevate the foundation of the house or backyard, making it difficult for the ground to soak-up water for a consistent looking lawn. The best answer is to simply plant bushes or shrubs or create a big garden in place of the lawn. But, most people who have grass want to keep it. The following are a few helpful ideas on how to make the most of it.
- Make sure your lawn gets aerated once or twice a year so it can better hold water and prevent run-off. Aeration works wonders.
- Use a sprinkler that will dispense water in a slow manner in order to give the ground enough time to absorb the water and avoid run-off. You may even have to shut off the sprinkler every 5 minutes or so, wait, and turn it on again so the water has time to absorb. You'll have to gauge this as you go.
- You can try what are referred to as "leaky pipes" and "soaker hoses". They are generally made of plastic or rubber, and can either spray in very small amounts or slowly leak out water in a certain area. However, with the advent of newer and better sprinklers, this may be a inadequate option.
- If options 1, 2 & 3 sound like a pain, you can always install a new sprinkler system and make life a lot easier. With a sprinkler system, you can pre-set the amount, the areas to be watered, and the times of the watering. For some, this is an answer from heaven.
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A healthy lawn is the first line of defense against weeds, insects and disease and the following maintenance techniques will significantly improve the health of your lawn.
- Lawn Mowing Tips that will reduce weeds, enhance drought tolerance and disease resistance and increase tolerance to insect feeding.
- Watering Techniques that will reduce weed invasion, enhance drought tolerance, reduce or eliminate disease, and kill insect pests.
- Weed Buster Strategies that will reduce disease and improve the appearance of your lawn.
- Landscaping & Gardening Tips that will make your property looks it's best.
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