After you’ve put time and care into patching up your lawn or planting a new lawn from scratch, you want to get all of the little things right, too. Everyday maintenance can make a big difference when it comes to the health and appearance of your lawn. One of the biggest things you can do to keep your lawn looking its best as long as possible is to simply water it at the right time. Below, you can learn when the best time to water your lawn is as well as what to do when you need to make some adjustments.
When Is the Best Time to Water Your Lawn? (Generally Speaking)
All things being equal, the best time to water an established lawn that is not experiencing any type of irregular event or stress is an hour before sunrise from late Spring to early Autumn. If you have less regular seasons, you can equate this to an hour before sunrise any time that your lawn is not dormant.
Factors That May Influence the Best Time to Water Your Lawn
The best time to water your lawn can vary over the life of that lawn. Everything from the growth stage to the climate can alter when, precisely, the best time to water your lawn is and when you should make changes. Below you can learn what these deciding factors are and how they influence when is the best time to water your lawn.
A Lack of Water Due to Drought or Drought-like Conditions
Water availability can affect the best time of day to water your lawn in a number of ways. First, if you are in a drought situation, you may not be able to water your lawn at all. If this is the case, do whatever you need to do to help your grass enter a healthy, dormant state, and only water it to keep it alive during this time.
If there is no drought with water restrictions but you are experiencing drought-like conditions such as an unseasonable lack of rain, high temperatures, and a low water table, you may not be able to water your lawn as often as you would like. In this case, it would be ideal to help your lawn enter a safe dormant state to conserve water.
If this is not possible, choose a watering schedule that complies with whichever local rules are in effect and water at night rather than during the day, if you have to choose between the two. Some water, even at a less-than-ideal time of day, is better than none. Further, the issues with watering your lawn at night (such as attracting fungus and pests) do not apply during drought or drought-like conditions.
A Lack of Water Pressure
If you have an abundance of water but your sprinklers aren’t performing as they should because of low water pressure early in the morning, set them to start half an hour to an hour earlier. Depending on the makeup of your neighborhood, utility infrastructure, and whether other sprinkler system timers overlap with yours, the water pressure can change drastically.
Recent Rain or a Wet Lawn
If it has recently rained or your lawn is wet and squishy, the best time to water your lawn is after this rain has dried off and, unless it’s particularly hot out, even a day after that.
The Content of Your Water
Does your local water have high chlorine, salt, or nitrate levels? Does it have a pH of 6 or less? If any of this is the case, you should definitely only water your lawn while it is dark or covered in dew. All of these factors can lead to discoloration when applied to grass that is or is soon to be exposed to sunlight.
Ability to Water the Lawn (Scheduling Restrictions)
Not everyone has a sprinkler system or can spare the time to go outside at 5am for 15 minutes to water their lawn. For some people, this is when they need to prepare lunches, walk the dog, and get the laundry started. While watering your lawn in the hour before sunrise is ideal, it is by no means the only option. In most regions, with average temperatures and humidity, anytime before 10am will be an acceptable time to water your lawn.
Average Temperature and Humidity
Speaking of average temperature and humidity, some regions will require drastic adjustments to any “average” schedule as the climate is so extreme in these places. If your average relative humidity is over 80% for example, you need to water your lawn much less than other places and will need to be much more careful so you don’t over-water your lawn. The same goes for anyone that lives in a region with less sunlight or a lower average temperature.
In contrast, if you live somewhere with a low average relative humidity (around 40% or less) or a high average temperature with plenty of direct sunlight, you may need to make adjustments in the other direction. This means watering your lawn more in terms of quantity and frequency as well as watering it earlier in the day.
Season or Time of Year
As explained above, lower temperatures and less exposure to sunlight mean less watering will be needed overall while higher temperatures and more exposure to sunlight will necessitate more watering. This means that the best time to water your lawn in summer will be earlier and for longer than the best time to water your lawn in fall or winter.
Seasonal differences in light and temperature are why flexible rules such as “water your lawn an hour before sunrise if it didn’t rain the day before” are often better than static rules such as “water your lawn starting at 5am every day.”
Grass Type and Grass Growth Stages
The final major factor that helps to determine when is the best time to water your lawn is the grass type and grass growth stage. While type doesn’t make much of a difference for the “when”, it does determine “how often” and “how long you should water your lawn“. For example, grass types with shallow roots (like centipede grass) will need more water than grass types with longer roots (such as buffalo grass or perennial ryegrass).
Younger grass will also need more frequent watering than mature lawns. You should also increase the number of times a day you water your lawn for a week or two after overseeding if you overseed during the growing season rather than over the winter.
Situations When You May Need to Change Your Watering Time
While watering your lawn before 10am is recommended and watering your grass about an hour before sunrise, while the dew is just settling on it, is ideal there will be many times when you need to make adjustments to your watering schedule. Below are a few situations in which you will need to make exceptions as well as how to go about doing so.
A Sudden Heat Wave and Drought-like Conditions
Heat waves and drought-like conditions will typically mean that the best time to water the grass will be any time it is displaying heat stress symptoms or that the ground is dry enough to prompt extra watering. For example, if the relative humidity is below 30%, the soil is dry and crumbly, and temperatures are above 90F in direct sunlight and you do not have a grass type that can be encouraged to enter a safe dormant state you will need to water your lawn more.
If I were in this situation, I would water my lawn as usual in the early morning and then each day for a few minutes just after the hottest part of the day. This usually works out to be about 4pm.
Drought
If your area is experiencing an actual drought, the best thing you can do is follow any local rules and regulations for dealing with this situation. If this means not watering your lawn, don’t water your lawn. While this may mean it will become patchy over time, sometimes other things will take priority.
Once the drought has resolved, there are many ways to help get your lawn back to a healthy green or alternatives to the traditional lawn that might stay greener with no watering if this seems like it’s going to be a common situation.
Recent Rain or an Overabundance of Water
On the other hand, you may have too much water already and may need to hold off on watering your lawn for this reason. If it has rained in the last 24 hours, I will usually hold off on applying any additional water, even if there are no puddles and temperatures are relatively high. If you use a deep watering schedule especially, your lawn should be primed to handle a lack of water better than an abundance.
Recent Re-Seeding or New Planting
If you have recently re-seeded or planted new grass, always stick to the schedule provided by the manufacturer or the usual watering schedule used to establish new grass seeds, or a watering schedule used to encourage better root development.
Scheduling Conflicts or Broken Equipment
If you have a prior commitment or a new commitment that makes it so you cannot water your lawn at the ideal time, or if your sprinkler system has broken down, that’s okay. Often, your lawn can go a few days without water while things normalize (unless your lawn is displaying the signs discussed below.)
If you are unable to water your lawn an hour before sunrise, you should then try to water your lawn before 10am. If this is not possible, water your grass after 4pm but no later than an hour before sunset. If none of these times will work and you must water your lawn during the hottest, sunniest part of the day, do so in 2 batches.
If you must water your lawn at night rather than any other time, pay extra attention to any retained moisture and ensure that you do not overwater your lawn to help mitigate some of the potential side effects of watering your lawn at night.
Signs Your Lawn Needs Water (Watch Out for These)
Sometimes, even knowing the best time to water your grass and doing so consistently over weeks and months won’t be enough if the climate isn’t cooperating. Below are 4 signs that your lawn needs more water. In any of these cases, continue to water your lawn as usual with an additional watering session after the hottest part of the day to help solve the issue.
Brittle Grass
The first sign that your lawn needs more water is that the blades of grass are brittle and coarse or “sharp” compared to how they look about an hour after watering them in the morning. This is a sign that your grass is dehydrated and that the water provided is being used up quickly.
Grass That Is Easily Uprooted (But Otherwise Looks Healthy)
If your grass has been unable to store extra water for some time and has become severely dehydrated on several occasions, your lawn may develop root problems. The grass may still appear green and healthy, but the grass is easily uprooted and the roots are thin, spindly, short, and easily broken.
Dull or Grayish Grass With or Without Brown or Yellowing Tips
Beyond root problems and just looking a little dehydrated, your lawn may change color when it does not have enough water. This change usually means that your lawn looks dull or grayish and the blades of your grass may develop brown tips, especially if you are still mowing your lawn regularly. If possible, refrain from mowing your lawn when it is in this state until it has recovered.
Dry Soil and Dusty Grass
If your lawn still seems healthy but the soil is dry (either revealed by a moisture meter or physical test), applying more water may prevent the signs mentioned above. If you notice excessive dust when walking across your lawn, it may not be a bad idea to double-check your lawn’s moisture levels.
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