How Often Should I Water My Lawn? And the best time to water your lawn

You need to water your lawn once a week with about 1” to 1 ½ inch of water, all year round and even in the winter. For deep watering, you’d have to water the lawn about 2-3 times weekly but not daily. Also, water the lawn as early in the morning as possible, whenever possible. Keep in mind that you can tell how well watered your lawn is by driving down a 6” screwdriver – if the screwdriver doesn’t go through the lawn easily, then you aren’t watering your lawn enough.

Watering the lawn too much can be too harmful to your lawn, in the same way, that little watering can be, which is why you have to find a balance, as delicate as it may be.

The frequency at which you water your lawn depends on different factors, which is why this is also one of the most elusive questions for anyone trying to tend to a healthy lawn.

An overall guiding principle when it comes to watering your lawn includes making sure that you do it at the right time of day and also throughout the week, depending on the type of grass on your lawn.

That said, watering your lawn appropriately is largely dependent on how well you trust your senses because when it’s all said and done, there is no specific formula on watering, nothing written on stone.

Types of Grass	Watering Frequency
Fescue Grasses	¾ inches of water weekly
Buffalo grass	¼ inches of water weekly
Grass sods	15 minutes daily for the first 2 weeks

For most grasses, it’s safe to water them twice each week.

What is the type of grass on your lawn?

How often you water your lawn depends on the type of grass on your lawn. Different grasses have varying resilience levels, whether they are under-watered or over-watered. Some species of grass are more drought-resistant than others, but others require watering on a more regular basis.

The fescue grass, for example, is more ideal for you if you live in cool and wet areas. Although they can have some level of drought resistance once their deep-rooting systems are established, you can easily water this type of grass once weekly. So, if you are planning to go on a trip in the summers, the fescue grass would be a great option because you don’t have to worry about coming back to an ugly, shriveled lawn.

On the other hand, Bermuda grass is drought-resistant, and it’s more ideal for you if you live in hot and dry areas. This type of grass doesn’t have to be watered frequently, and it can stay for up to 4 weeks without being watered. Its drought-tolerance is further enhanced by the fact that once the temperatures go down, it will go into the dormant state.

If, on the other hand, you just planted new grass seeds or sods, you’ll have to water the grass seeds more regularly, say 15 minutes daily for 2 weeks, and until they grow and the grass is well established. That said, overwatering is a huge risk for the new sods and germinating seeds, meaning you must follow the instructions given on the label or the provider.

Watering grasses is important because it helps to root the grass deeper in the ground. This also helps in keeping the grass alive in the long-run and in the drier months.

How do the season and local weather conditions affect the watering frequency?

Naturally, the weather plays a huge role in the frequency with which you choose to water your lawn. Different weather conditions dictate how often the grass needs watering. However, most lawns will be best with about an inch of water every week, but it may need more or less water depending on whether it’s dry or wet.

Also, grasses go dormant in extreme heat or in winter. During dormancy, the grass falls asleep, and despite common misconceptions, the grass isn’t really dead. As a result, it doesn’t make sense to water the lawn in dormancy, and you’d have to wait until it cools down or warms up.

How often should you water the lawn in the rainy season and in spring?

During the rainy seasons or in rainy times like in spring, and moisture is available to the lawn, and the dormancy period is broken. Root growth is also stimulated, which is why this would be a great time to fill up any bald patches in your lawn without having to worry about watering the lawn a few times a week.

How often should you water your lawn in the hot and dry seasons?

When the conditions are hot and dry, your lawn will need a lot more TLC, and you’d have to water the lawn a lot more frequently. In conditions above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, grass on your lawn will fall dormant. However, you could prevent your grass from falling dormant by keeping the turf cool and the sprinklers running a few times each week. And if the grass is browning, you shouldn’t worry about it because it will turn green again with enough moisture or after it’s watered.

When should you water your lawn?

The season notwithstanding, you should water your lawn before 10 am (between 5am and 10am) in the morning.Watering the lawn early in the morning means that the lawn has more than enough time to absorb moisture, and very little water will evaporate from the sun and the heat.

Alternatively, you could also water the lawn at dusk. This might not be the ideal option, but it also allows moisture to soak into the soil without lingering for too long, killing grass and preventing mold from growing.

Conclusion

If you are unsure about when to water the lawn, the simplest lawn watering guide requires that you water the lawn deeply 2-3 times each week because the lawn needs a minimum of 1” to 1 ½ inches of water weekly. Water the lawn more in the heat, especially for fescue grass lawns, and don’t water the lawn too long that the lawn is soggy and the water runs down the street.

FAQs

1. How long do you need to water for the lawn for the water to reach 1 inch?

Well, there is no specific answer for this, but it’s dependent on the type of sprinklers you use. For automatic sprinklers, you’d have to water the lawn for an hour, but it may be less time with more daily sessions depending on how hot it is or how dry the soil is.

2. Why do you need to water the grass deeply 2-3 times each week and not daily?

Daily watering results in a shallow root system, which means that the grass will dry out fast while also weakening the turf. Watering 2 or 3 times weekly or deep watering, on the other hand, allows for the roots to develop deeper root systems, making the grass stronger and even more resistant to drought.