Watering the Lawn
It sounds pretty simple, but the fact is most people water their lawn incorrectly. A healthy lawn should be watered infrequently, once a week should be fine even during the hottest, driest weather. Grass will attempt to go dormant and shut down if the weather becomes extremely hot and dry. Frequent, light watering at this time will only make matters worse.
When to water
If possible, water in early morning, as this gives the lawn a chance to dry off during the day. Watering at night leaves grass damp, which may help spread fungus and disease. Watering during mid-day allows excessive evaporation, and poor penetration of moisture to the roots.
How much water
This depends on the soil structure, sandy soils will require less water to penetrate to the roots, but may require more frequent watering to replace draining through the soil. Heavy clay and organic soils will require a longer watering period to penetrate to the root zone, but when wet will hold the moisture longer than sandy soils.
A lawn should be watered from one to three hours to allow moisture to reach the root zone. Light waterings encourage shallow root growth, and the grass then becomes more susceptible to drought.
Over watering of a lawn may also present problems. The roots may suffer from lack of oxygen, fungus and disease may occur, and thatch may build up.
A lawn will look a dark purple/green colour when it is lacking in water. Slopes, south facing lawns, areas near driveways and buildings, and heavy traffic areas may need increased amounts of water. Be aware of localized dry spots, it may be insect activity!
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