Recommended Watering Practices

As a baseline watering method for fully established (not recently seeded) lawn, we recommend you water deeply and infrequently.

When you water an established lawn, you should typically only water in the morning between the hours of 4am and 9am in order to maximize the effectiveness of the water you’re using. Afternoon waterings can evaporate too quickly, wasting a significant portion of the water, and evening waterings can cause moisture to sit on the surface of the lawn which may lead to disease. Using the “deep and infrequent” method, most home irrigation systems should run for about 30 minutes per zone. That timeframe may need to be adjusted based on water pressure.

Only watering every three days is generally plenty under reasonable weather conditions. On the other hand, if the weather is considerably hot for a sustained period, 85 degrees or higher for 5 days or more, it may be necessary to water more frequently. Similarly to house plants, it is necessary to allow enough time for the soil to dry between watering events. Constant moisture availability can harm the plants and make them more susceptible to disease, drought, and heat stress.

We recommend using a simple “rain” gauge so that you can keep track of how much water your lawn receives on a weekly basis from both irrigation and precipitation. A healthy lawn should get a minimum of one inch of water per week, and any more than two inches is excessive and potentially harmful.

Keep in mind, proper irrigation is a moving target during the season. A variety of environmental factors will also determine what your lawn may need. Keep an eye on your lawn’s quality and adjust timing and frequency as needed.