10 Smart and Effective Ways to Water Your Lawn

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Water in the Fall

Your lawn still needs water in autumn, even though the leaves are changing, the growing season is winding down, and your grass isn’t growing as fast. “Grass should be watered whenever it is green and growing and the soil is dry, regardless of what season it is,” Churchill says.

Fall watering helps your lawn recover from summer stress and gain strength for the winter ahead. So don’t put your hoses or sprinklers away until the ground starts to freeze — your fall grass still needs the water.

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Buy an Impact Sprinkler on a Tripod

Impact sprinklers rotate in a circle, delivering an even spray of water that mimics rainfall. They are easily adjustable to rotate in a full or partial circle, and even more versatile if you buy one that’s attached to a tripod. These are great for large areas because the extra height increases the distance the sprinkler will throw water.

There are other benefits too. You can easily adjust the spray pattern with less stooping, and you can direct the spray over the top of bushes and flower gardens. And finally, the adjustable legs allow you to level out the sprinkler on uneven ground.

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Water Grass Seed Carefully

Seeding is a great way to grow a lawn or patch a bare spot. The key to success is proper watering. For seeds to germinate and grow, they must be kept damp until the seedlings establish roots.

Sprinkle new seeds with a light mist of water once a day (ideally twice) until they sprout. A hard spray or big droplets of water will wash the seeds away or make them clump together. “The goal is to keep the soil damp just at the surface level, where the seeds are,” Castillero says.

After the seeds sprout, keep watering once a day until the grass is ready for its first mowing.

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Don’t Water on a Schedule

Churchill’s advice for how to water grass involves not following a rigid schedule. “Watering your lawn is not the time to get stuck into a routine,” he says. Instead, he recommends considering several factors to determine how much water your lawn needs. These include daytime temperatures, wind conditions, soil types, lawngrass types and recent rainfall amounts. All of these conditions will impact how much water your lawn truly needs.

“Most homeowners have their irrigation clock set to come on every day or every other day,” Churchill says. “This is way too much.” Don’t be afraid to give your sprinkler system a day or two off. Your lawn will thank you.

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Choose the Best Sprinkler for the Location

When learning how to water grass, the number of sprinkler types can be confusing. “You want to match the type and size of the sprinkler with the size and shape of the lawn,” Churchill says. Impact sprinklers are a great all-around choice because they are so adjustable and generally waste less water.

If you have a small circular area to water, a rotary sprinkler’s round watering pattern is perfect. Long, narrow spaces are easiest to water with flat soaker/sprinkler hoses. For square or rectangular areas, an oscillating sprinkler is hard to beat.

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Check Soil Moisture to Determine Watering Time

To learn how to water grass more efficiently can take some trial and error. This is especially true when determining the ideal length of watering time.

Your goal is to run the sprinkler until the water penetrates 3 to 4 inches into the soil. To get this right, water the lawn for 30 minutes, then shut off the water. Push a shovel into the grass and tip it forward to expose the soil. Keep watering and checking the soil dampness every 30 minutes. You’ll eventually arrive at the optimal length of time to water for your soil type and water pressure.

For those with underground sprinkler systems, Churchill recommends installing water sensors. “These will sense when the soil under your lawn is dry and will engage the system only when water is needed,” he says.

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Add a Remote Hose Connection for Easier Watering

If you’re constantly dragging long lengths of hose from the house to the far corners of your yard, consider adding a remote faucet instead. Depending on how much time and expense you want to put into it, this can be as simple as a length of garden hose connected to a fence with pipe straps, as shown here, or an underground pipe complete with a vacuum breaker at the house.

Either way, you’ll save a ton of time and effort by not having to deal with long hoses. I also love using retractable hoses as their lighter and easier to move.

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Install an Inexpensive Irrigation System

Get the convenience of an underground irrigation system at a fraction of the cost with a multi-outlet programmable water timer. Single-zone and multi-zone timers are available.

Programmable timers allow you to choose the time of day and duration that the connected sprinkler will run. Read product descriptions and online reviews carefully to determine which timer is right for your situation, since different models have different functions and abilities.

While these can simplify watering, make sure to move the hoses periodically or lay them across mulched beds to avoid damaging the lawn.

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Save Water with an Impact or Rotary Sprinkler

Sprinklers that spray water high into the air or break up water into a mist are inefficient, especially if you’re watering when it’s hot and dry. A large percentage of the water will simply evaporate before it ever reaches the grass.

Impact and rotary sprinklers, on the other hand, can be adjusted to keep the water nearer the ground. Both types also spray water in streams or large drops that fall quickly to the ground without evaporating. You’ll save water and money using an impact or rotary sprinkler whenever possible.

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Don’t Water Every Day

Watering your lawn every day not only wastes money and water, but it can actually weaken your grass. “When lawns are overwatered, most of the grassroots are in the top one inch of soil or so. That makes your lawn less drought tolerant and unhealthy,” Churchill says.

He sees overwatered lawns particularly on properties with in-ground sprinkler systems. “Most times, homeowners who have them love to use them,” he says. A longer watering once or twice a week promotes deeper root growth as they grow deeper looking for water.

Also, adjust your watering to the conditions. Different areas of your lawn will have different watering requirements. The key is to make note of this as you water, so you can tailor your watering. For example, south-facing hills may require more water; areas under trees, less.

FAQs

Can you overwater grass?

Yes. “It happens all the time,” Churchill says. Letting your grass go a few days without water will encourage deeper root growth for a healthier lawn.

What temperature is too hot for watering grass?

To save money and resources, “Skip watering your grass when temperatures are 95 degrees [Fahrenheit] or hotter,” Castillero says. The water will most likely evaporate before reaching the roots.

Is it OK to water grass at night?

It’s okay, but not the best time. “If lawn grasses are left wet going into the nighttime hours, turf diseases can sometimes become an issue,” Churchill says. He recommends watering in the morning instead.

About the Experts

Joe Churchill is a Senior Turf Specialist for Reinders, a major distributor of lawn care products throughout the Midwest. Churchill is certified in Turf Management and has over 25 years of experience in the turfgrass industry.

Osmar Castillero is the owner of Blades Landscaping Services, a lawn care and maintenance company in Lowell, Massachusetts. He has over 10 years of experience in the industry.