Watering a lawn is one of the most important aspects of keeping it healthy and attractive. The amount of water a lawn needs varies with many factors including climate, soil, type of grass, and fertilizing and mowing. Both over watering and under watering can lead to serious problems so the watering schedule has to be adjusted to meet the needs of the lawn. Most grasses show symptoms of dehydration before they turn brown or die but you have to be alert to them.
Here are four signs that indicate the lawn needs water to be green and healthy. Not all kinds of grass will show all the signs but be on the alert.
Color: Darker color; often bluish green with purple caste
Resilience: Grass blades don’t bounce back up after someone walks on the lawn.
Leaf Blade: Leaves become folded or rolled lengthwise.
Root Zone Soil: Soil should be moist but not wet 6-8” below the ground level; soil that is too dry will feel hard rather than soft.
If you find that over 30% of your lawn has wilted, water deeply within a day. Your lawn will recover and you can feel good about being environmentally responsible by not wasting water on unnecessary watering. Over watering does more damage to the lawn then under watering so watering only when the lawn needs it is good for the lawn and good for the environment.
