How much should I water my lawn for best results?
Question:I live in Norther California where it rarely rains in the summer.
Answers:
To keep your lawn green and growing this summer it requires about one inch of water per week. Water your grass when you can walk across it and see your foot prints. In the very hot summer break your watering in to two sessions. Water (if you have an automated system) very early in the morning (maybe 4am?) that way the grass will not have to be wet very long and the water will penetrate the soil (that's where you want it). In the very hot part of the summer raise the level that you are mowing to perhaps 2 to 3 inches. The blades of grass will shade each other and also help to shade the ground. If your ground is very tight you might consider aerating the soil. By doing this you will promote good root growth and the water will be able to penetrate easier. Keep the weeds out as they hog water. To see how much water you are really applying to the yard place an empty tuna can in the yard this is a good way to find out how much water is really being applied.
turf grass should have about an inch of moisture a week when it's in it's growing season. You can get an inexpensive rain gage and keep track of how much you water and/or it rains.
I live in Northern California too and I set my automatic sprinkler system to come on twice a week for 15 minutes per section. When it hits 100 degrees I turn it up to 20 minutes.
Most grass in Northern California is drought resistant. I mean it won't die, it just turns brown and shrivels up!
You won't need to worry about it if you water your lawn 15-20 minutes a day, a few hours before dusk.
You don't want to leave any water on your yard over night. It could cause rotting and promotes disease.
To much water during the day can be almost as bad. Its easy to do because, your lawn will respond positively, it will become greener, bushier and give the neighbors the impression that you really know what you doing!
Actually, the root system of your lawn will not need to grow as deep as before, because your giving it extra water. When you forget to give your lawn that extra water for a few days, maybe you go on vacation, etc, when you return you will be surprised!
Good Luck!
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