How to Best Water your lawn

HOW MUCH WATER & WHEN? 

Are you looking to optimize your lawn-watering schedule?

Keeping your lawn lush and green requires a nutrient-rich soil and proper watering. When you add too much water, the lawn becomes saturated and the grass is unable to grow. ​But too little water also results in your grass withering away. It's important to find the sweet spot. 

​Many homeowners think that they know exactly when and how much to water their lawns. But in reality, Eagle Management in Sacramento a local property management company warns, they are carrying out the watering in a sub-optimal fashion.

Luckily, there are simple, tried-and-true strategies that help you get a perfect lawn. Follow through with our tips and suggestions on best lawn-watering times and other key principles of proper watering.

---

​#1: When Is the Best Time to Water Your Lawn?
Early morning is a great time to water your lawn, specifically between 2am and 6am. The wind is calmer and the sun isn't that strong yet. These conditions decrease the chance of desiccation due to strong winds or evaporation resulting from bright, hot sunlight.

Late evening watering times (between the hours of 8pm and 11pm can be added to days where temperatures exceed 100. This is a cooler part of the day as well. You'll need less water, which means a reduction in overall expenses. Plus, watering your lawn when there is morning dew cuts down on the risk of grass diseases.

#2: What is the Optimal Duration of Lawn Watering?
Healthy soils should receive approximately an inch of water weekly. In most homes, doing a 20-minute watering session three times a week exposes the lawn to an inch of water in total.

The duration of lawn watering depends on the equipment. And the circumstances are entirely different when you conduct hand watering or your soil is unhealthy. The latter means a high risk of sub-optimal drainage, which results in water-logging and damages to your lawn.

#3: What Is the Right Frequency of Lawn Watering?
Daily watering usually leads to a shallow root system. This type of root system tends to dry out pretty quickly. You'll get a lawn that is weak and won't show resilience in the face of changing weather conditions.

Instead of frequent watering, it's recommended to conduct deep watering on a more infrequent basis. This approach promotes the development of strong and resilient root systems.

The frequency is dependent on your local climate conditions and seasonal differences. For instance, watering three times per week is unnecessary in cooler seasons. More intensive rainfall and gentler sunlight lower the need for watering.

#4: Does Your Grass Type Matter At All?
When it comes to lawn watering, the type of grass you have does make a considerable difference. You should always read up on the particular watering needs of your grass. That's because some varieties are less drought-tolerant than others.

#5: What about the Soil Types?
Similarly to the grass varieties, the specific type of soil matters as well. Sandy soils are not that good at retaining water, which means that you should water the lawn more frequently.

Clay soils are quite good at retaining water. But you need to soak clay soils more than sandy soils because the former takes a long time for proper wetting. Loamy soils sit somewhere between sandy and clay soils, which means they need moderate watering frequency and amount.

#6: Should You Use a Timer?

Forgetting your sprinkler when it's running because you had some other errands is an all too common scenario. That is a good reason to invest in a WIFI timer for your lawn sprinkler. Most EIFI timers have pairing capabilities to their own mobile app that you can control from your smart device or workstation. They also can be paired with your local weather monitoring devices to automatically increase, decrease or completely put your system on pause due to rain or other unexpected weather conditions.

After installing this piece of equipment, you don't have to worry about overwatering your lawn again. This timer automatically blocks additional water from flowing onto your lawn.
​
Quality irrigation timers are the backbone to supporting your property's system. You can measure the amount of water your lawn gets with the help of this additional functionality. To take your lawn watering to the next level, check out Orbit B-Hyve WIFI controllers to automate your watering schedule and keep your lawn looking healthy. 

---

In a Nutshell: Best Lawn-Watering Times
​
Lawn watering is one of the pillar activities for keeping your grass lush and beautiful. Although many homeowners improvise their lawn-watering times and durations, it's a good idea to have a set of rules in place.
Follow these principles for boosting the resilience and aesthetics of your lawn:

• Water your lawn in early mornings between the hours of 2am and 6am or late evenings (between the hours of 8pm and 11pm) to minimize desiccation and evaporation.
• Consider the soil and grass type with their unique combinations of watering needs.
• All else equal, water your lawn three times a week that results in a total of an inch of water per week.
• Use a WIDI irrigation control timer to avoid overwatering your lawn and take advantage of weather condition technology. It will save you time and money on your yard maintenance.

James

James is a writer for Eagle Property Management in Sacramento, California

---

Looking for maintenance professionals to take care of your lawn needs, learn how our Crew can keep your lawn beautiful all year long. 

Learn More