Garden Club R.F.D. Question: How much Water Does Your Lawn Need?

If you are like me, you’ve always asked yourself, “How much should you water?” “How often?”

Proper watering is crucial, particularly if you don’t have the best lawn on the block.

Okay, so this is what you need to know.

• Your lawn needs at least 1 to 1 ½ inches of water per week. But, how do you know how much you are getting?
• Do not water daily as that will give your grass a shallow root system that dries out fast and weakens your turf. Water 2 to 3 times a week for a deep root system, making your lawn stronger and more drought resistant.
• Water as early in the morning as you can, when possible. This will ensure that your lawn dries completely before nightfall. A wet lawn at night, on a regular basis, can lead to fungus and disease problems. Of course, if morning watering is impossible, watering at any time is always better than not watering at all!
• If we have extreme temperatures—high 90’s--for a prolonged time period, you might want to raise your mowing height a little—and water more.
• Don’t water so long , that it runs down the street. If it happens every time you water, there may be a compaction problem as happens in heavy clay soil or high traffic areas. Try aeration to alleviate the problem temporarily.
• Lastly, if you can’t push a 6-inch screwdriver into your lawn, you are not watering enough. Different soil types need different amounts of water. You can tell what is your dominant type of soil by getting a moist handful and squeezing it. Clay will smush into a ball that doesn’t fall apart. Sand will stick together when squeezed, but not for long. Sand doesn’t hold moisture as well as clay but water is slower to penetrate the clay.
• Give your lawn a fighting chance to give you pleasure!

First, buy a rain gauge. Mother Nature has been delivering more water lately so get that rain gauge or get a tuna can that is 1 inch high to know the amount you receive.

Run your sprinkler and place the tuna can where your sprinkler is hitting. See how long it takes to get a half inch of water in the can—just like a rain gauge. It’s usually 30 minutes. So, if you water 3 times a week for 20 minutes, your lawn will get an inch of water, or water 3 times a week for 30 minutes and you will get 1 ½ inches of water.

If you are a techie, there is now a Digital Wireless Rain Gauge. You place the Temperature/Humidity Sensor outside in a shaded location and the Rain Sensor in an open, level area where it can accumulate rain. Your rain station is kept indoors where you can safely monitor temperature/humidity levels, rainfall and more!! Easy!

Please remember that during extreme heat, you will need to water more due to evaporation and heat stress on the grass.

Garden Club R.F.D. is a nonprofit organization that meets at The Little Red Schoolhouse, an historic site. We are now open to accepting new members and welcome all inquiries. Information can be obtained by calling Nancy Canade at 973-452-4846 or emailing Ruth Korn at ruthkorn77@gmail.com. The Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club of New Jersey and the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, Inc. as well as the National Garden Club, Inc.

Give us a try!