When Is It Best to Water the Lawn?

Grass Types

• There are two types of grass: warm season and cool season. Warm-season grasses start growing in the late spring to early fall, while cool-season grasses begin growing in the early fall to the spring. In between, the grass goes into a state of dormancy where the blades turn brown and it focuses its energy on the roots. It is important to avoid watering the lawn when the grass is about to enter dormancy or the end of its growing season to prevent new growth. New growth can become damaged when temperatures do not favor the turf grass. Water your lawn at the beginning of the growing season to help it come out of dormancy.

Grass Varieties

• All grass varieties need a specific amount of water weekly to survive. For example, St. Augustine grass needs 1 to 1-1/4 inch of water each week, according to the University of Arkansas. Whereas, Bermuda grass can survive on 1 inch of water a week given that the weather is not too hot or you have loam soil in the yard. If your lawn as not received the amount it needs from rainfall, you will have to supplement the water.

How to Tell

• Gardeners can find out how much water their lawn has received by setting out tuna cans in the lawn. Once a week, check the tuna cans to see how much rain or irrigation your lawn has gotten throughout the week. Tuna cans are 2 inches in height, so if your tuna can is one-third of the way full and you are growing St. Augustine grass, you will need to give the grass 3/4 of an inch of water to meet its growing requirements.

Timing

• Grass should be watered in the morning to allow for grass blades to dry before night. Wet grass blades combined with nighttime temperatures creates the best environment for fungal diseases. Fungal diseases germinate and spread when conditions are cool and wet. If you miss giving your lawn a drink in the morning, wait until the next day to irrigate. Be sure that your sprinkler is set to run in the early morning and not in the late afternoon or evening.