Aside from today’s rain, it’s been very dry the past couple of months and some are worried about the state of their lawn.
But do most people know when the best time of day to water their lawn is? Horticulturalist Tom Kalb says early morning is when the grass is most active and absorbing moisture. And, if you water it too much it has all day to dry off and is less likely to develop a fungal disease.
“On the other hand like if you water in the afternoon when it’s hot, you’re going to lose a lot of water from evaporation. And watering at night is not best because the grass stays wet all night and that can lead to diseases,” said Kalb.
The other important part of watering your lawn is to make sure you’re watering deep. If you water just a little bit, multiple times a week, the roots will be shallow. But, if you water a lot at one time, the roots will grow deep in the soil. A typical lawn usually needs about one inch of water a week.
“So what’s an inch of water, how do you measure that? Well, it’s a combination of what rain we get and then what you irrigate. And you can measure your sprinkler system, just have your sprinkler and set out some cups about 5, 10, 15 feet from the sprinkler and run your sprinkler. And see how much time it takes for about 1 inch of water to get into those cups,” said Kalb.
Kalb also says if your lawn is turning yellow, that’s not a bad thing. It’s just naturally going dormant.
