Water is the key to a green lawn

Just like all the plants in your yard or home, your lawn needs water. Water is the key to a green lawn, but are you watering right?

Whether your sprinklers are working correctly, whether you use a movable sprinkler, a hand held hose or have an irrigation system installed will all determine how long and how often you should be watering your lawn. Of course, you can over water your lawn. It is a major concern as too much water can leave the grass plant blades and stems weak and soft which means they can be more easily damaged when someone plays or walks on the lawn. Additionally, too much water can essentially drown the roots and cut off vital oxygen needed to survive.

How much water is right? This will depend on the type of lawn variety you have and your geographical location but as a general rule, most lawns will survive on seasonal rainfall. But when Mother Nature isn’t playing ball and it’s the growing season, most lawns will thrive with a maximum of 2.5cms of water per week which equates to the south east Queensland rainfall total of 1200mm per year. During summer in south east Queensland we average 100-150mm per month which is perfect for most lawns, but it’s worth remembering that not all weeks or months are the same. If we go weeks without rain then you might need to pull out the sprinkler or hose to give your lawn a decent watering. A hose running for an hour usually provides 1200 litres so just work out the size of your lawn and determine how long you will need to run the hose to get the required coverage.

Watering is one of the easiest lawn care tasks to adjust. Monitor the health of your lawn during the growing season and simply adjust the watering frequency up or down until it’s right for your lawn and location. Keep an eye on the blades of the grass plants, when they begin to yellow/brown, wilt or curl up and no rain is on the near forecast, then your lawn could probably benefit from watering. Remember to water less frequently but deeply to encourage a strong root system and to water only in the early morning. Watering at night can encourage mildew and pests, water during the day and the water will be lost to evaporation.

Follow these simple steps from Daleys Turf and you’ll unlock the key to a green lawn all year round.