How much should you water for your specific type of grass?
Believe it or not, there are specific ways to water your lawn for different grass types that are more effective and cost-efficient. Below is a schedule that we recommend for each grass type.
LAWN HACK: Use a tuna can to measure how much water your lawn is getting.
TALL FESCUE (Cool-Season Turf)
Cool-season turf loves the cool weather and suffers in the summer. Most Fescue lawns will lose between 30-40% of their turf each season. This is due to heat stress and improper watering and mowing.
Best time to water?
Between 2am and 6am
Why? Watering between the hours of 2-6 AM is beneficial to your lawn because watering during the heat of the day means that you can and will lose a significant amount of moisture to evaporation. The sun can also affect watering. The sun’s reflection off water beads that form on your grass blades can have a negative impact on your lawn by raising the temperature of the lawn. Watering during the day can cause the grass to burn or dry out. (We all know how water bills can get pretty high during the summer when trying to keep our lawns green.)
How often should you water?
3-4 days per week
Why? If you have an established fescue lawn it is better to lawn less often for longer periods of time. Watering every day does not develop a deep root system. A healthy Fescue lawn does better with longer roots.
How much water should you water per week?
1.5 to 2 inches
Why? To get a thick, healthy fescue lawn, we recommend watering until you have reached 1.5" to 2" in the amount of water per section of where you are watering. If you have an established fescue lawn it is better to water less often for longer periods of time. Watering a few times a week for long periods will increase the health of your fescue long and create stronger grassroots.
(We suggest using a tuna can to measure how long it takes to get to 1.5" to 2" then keep this watering length per zone)
Duration of watering?
Approx. 30 min. per zone
Why? You should be watering your lawn for 30 minutes per zone so that the water has ample time to penetrate the soil. Long, deep watering leads to the development of a strong root system. Your lawn's root system is going to chase the water so you want it to penetrate deep into the soil. A shallow root system leads to a thin lawn rather than the lush green lawn you are looking for.
Remember: Take total weekly rainfall into account.
BERMUDA, ZOYSIA, & ST. AUGUSTINE (Warm-Season Turf)
Warm-season turf like Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine will go dormant in the winter and thrive in the summer. However, Zoysia and St. Augustine in some areas will not go completely dormant so it's important to know how much to water these turf types.
Best Time To Water?
Between 2am - 6am
Why? Watering between the hours of 2-6 AM is beneficial to your lawn because watering during the heat of the day means that you can and will lose a significant amount of moisture to evaporation. The sun can also affect watering. The sun’s reflection off water beads that form on your grass blades can have a negative impact on your lawn by raising the temperature of the lawn. Watering during the day can cause the grass to burn or dry out. (We all know how water bills can get pretty high during the summer when trying to keep our lawns green.)
How often to water?
2-3 Days Per Week
Why? If you have an established warm-season lawn, it is better to lawn less often for longer periods of time. Watering every day does not develop a deep root system. A healthy warm-season lawn does better with longer roots.
Amount of water per week?
1.25 to 1.5 inches
Why? To get a thick, healthy warm-season lawn, we recommend watering until you have reached 1.25" to 1.5" in the amount of water per section of where you are watering. If you have an established warm-season lawn it is better to water less often for longer periods of time. Watering a few times a week for long periods will increase the health of your grass and create stronger grassroots.
(We suggest using a tuna can to measure how long it takes to get to 1.25" to 1.5" then keep this watering length per zone)
Duration of watering?
Approx. 30 min. per zone
Why? You should be watering your lawn for 30 minutes per zone so that the water has ample time to penetrate the soil. Long, deep watering leads to the development of a strong root system. Your lawn's root system is going to chase the water so you want it to penetrate deep into the soil. A shallow root system leads to a thin lawn rather than the lush green lawn you are looking for.
Remember: Take total weekly rainfall into account.