Grass Watering Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make With Today’s Water Bills
Question: I want golf course lush. So how much and how frequently should I water my grass?
A fairly common question actually. For which a pat answer is often provided when really the best answer is "It depends." Because there are many things that come into play when answering it.
Generally the rule of thumb answer given is you want to water about an inch a week. But sometimes rules of thumb become unquestioned rules that can't be violated. You know, the type that are cast in stone to be followed at all costs?
I put it that way because how much and often you need to water comes down to a number of things. So there is no one size fits all answer that covers the issue. Because it can't.
For starters you need to know how often it rains. Pretty obvious, yes. But I had to point it out.
A related point is it's best to water only when you have to. Is your grass looking rather limp? Stressed? Are your foot steps clearly seen> All suggest your grass isn't springing back like it should. If so it's not a stretch to say you should be watering.
What type of grass do you have? Different varieties have different watering requirements.
Then too what setting your mower is set to plays a role. The longer the grass the less often you'll likely need to water and still have a decent looking lawn. Then too leaving the clippings is a good way to recycle moisture back into your lawn.
"How are your roots?" is another good question to answer. Obviously the deeper your lawn's roots the less often you should need to water. One way to get deep roots is watering deeply. Recognizing water that has soaked beyond the root zone is of little use to your grass.
Grass Truth: The height of the blade dictates the depth of the root. The longer the blade the deeper the root.
It's not the end of the world if the upper part of the root zone dries out either. In fact your grass benefits three ways. Weeds with shallow roots struggle and die. Weed seeds don't germinate as well and lawn diseases are kept at bay.
Another thing to take into consideration is the type of soil you're dealing with. Clay soils hold water longer than a sandy loam is apt to. There is no one size fits all here. Everyone's yard will have different water holding properties. You want to water to the point the top three to four inches of soil are wet.
Finally you're got flow rate. Or putting water down so fast it runs off. That doesn't help.
See? There is more to watering your grass than the old inch a week rule of thumb alone. Those that realize that soon realize a lusher looking lawn as well.
Dewey "Jeep" Capasso has authored many lawn care articles like the one you just read. So whether it's the best riding lawnmowers, or ztr mower reviews, or eliminating moles that are tearing up your grass, you'll find the help you need at MowerMania.com.
