Interesting...
When is the best time to water the lawn?
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Originally Posted By: javacontour
Actually, you don't want to cut it short. Cutting it short will reduce the shade the ground gets. You want your grass to be 3-4" tall in the summer. The tall grass will actually promote deeper roots as it has to go deeper to support the taller grass.
You get the added benefit of more shade for your soil. This reduces evaporation as well as makes it more difficult for weeds to emerge.
Indeed. Keep it tall, use a mulching mower/blade, and mow frequently. If you let it get too tall and then mow it, you can severely damage the grass. I think the rule of thumb is never cut more then 1/3 of the grass blades.
In all honesty, if you have really good soil and get frequent rain, you can do anything to your grass and you'll likely have a nice green yard, but if you live where the soil is poor and rain is infrequent, it helps to meticulously follow all the proper steps for good green grass.
Actually, you don't want to cut it short. Cutting it short will reduce the shade the ground gets. You want your grass to be 3-4" tall in the summer. The tall grass will actually promote deeper roots as it has to go deeper to support the taller grass.
You get the added benefit of more shade for your soil. This reduces evaporation as well as makes it more difficult for weeds to emerge.
Indeed. Keep it tall, use a mulching mower/blade, and mow frequently. If you let it get too tall and then mow it, you can severely damage the grass. I think the rule of thumb is never cut more then 1/3 of the grass blades.
In all honesty, if you have really good soil and get frequent rain, you can do anything to your grass and you'll likely have a nice green yard, but if you live where the soil is poor and rain is infrequent, it helps to meticulously follow all the proper steps for good green grass.
Originally Posted By: javacontour
Actually, you don't want to cut it short. Cutting it short will reduce the shade the ground gets. You want your grass to be 3-4" tall in the summer. The tall grass will actually promote deeper roots as it has to go deeper to support the taller grass.
You get the added benefit of more shade for your soil. This reduces evaporation as well as makes it more difficult for weeds to emerge.
++1
And what's up with the focus on how much (or actually, how very little) time your sprinkler is on?
Your focus should be on watering thoroughly and deeply each time you water your grass. You should provide at least one inch of water to the soil each time you water. And watering one time per week, early in the morning, for a time period that allows for that one inch of water to be applied is what you are aiming for.
And javacontour is correct, a blade height of less than 3" sets your lawn up for drying out quicker, easier invasion by weeds, and more burning of the roots by the sun. Yep, you might have to cut your grass more often, but you're doing your lawn a favor by maintaining a blade height of at least 3".
Also, it depends on the type of grass you have in your lawn. A lot of people insist on "green" 12 months of the year. Grass will go dormant in July and August, at least with tall fescue in this part of the country. That doesn't mean your lawn is "dead."
A soaking rain or thorough watering in September will easily bring back the green.
With a 3/4-acre lot and 8,000 square feet of lawn to care for, I'd love to have your backyard!
Did you pour that patio or was it there when you bought the place?
Actually, you don't want to cut it short. Cutting it short will reduce the shade the ground gets. You want your grass to be 3-4" tall in the summer. The tall grass will actually promote deeper roots as it has to go deeper to support the taller grass.
You get the added benefit of more shade for your soil. This reduces evaporation as well as makes it more difficult for weeds to emerge.
++1
And what's up with the focus on how much (or actually, how very little) time your sprinkler is on?
Your focus should be on watering thoroughly and deeply each time you water your grass. You should provide at least one inch of water to the soil each time you water. And watering one time per week, early in the morning, for a time period that allows for that one inch of water to be applied is what you are aiming for.
And javacontour is correct, a blade height of less than 3" sets your lawn up for drying out quicker, easier invasion by weeds, and more burning of the roots by the sun. Yep, you might have to cut your grass more often, but you're doing your lawn a favor by maintaining a blade height of at least 3".
Also, it depends on the type of grass you have in your lawn. A lot of people insist on "green" 12 months of the year. Grass will go dormant in July and August, at least with tall fescue in this part of the country. That doesn't mean your lawn is "dead."
A soaking rain or thorough watering in September will easily bring back the green.
With a 3/4-acre lot and 8,000 square feet of lawn to care for, I'd love to have your backyard!
Did you pour that patio or was it there when you bought the place?
You Californians watering for 2 or 3 MINUTES?????? Please explain how that can be effective at all! Seems like that tiny amount of water you apply would only coat the grass leaves and never penetrate into the ground. Seems like the water would just evaporate into the air and be wasted - both to the lawn and to your pocketbook.
Do you use super size sprinkle emitters to apply 1/4" or more water to the lawn in 3 minutes?
Sorry for sounding sarcastic. What does your land grant university recommend for watering practices?
Never mind, I found the answer at UC, a GREAT resource:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/irrigate.html
"Water deep and infrequently - Light sprinkling is only beneficial for newly planted turf when the roots are developing in the very top portion of the soil. As turf is established, roots extend deeper into the soil. Light sprinkling will encourage root development only near the soil surface and stunt deeper root growth. Shallow root systems require frequent watering to keep the surface wet, creating an ideal environment for weeds and diseases. Although some grasses have less extensive root systems than others, deep, infrequent watering that allows water to penetrate the top 6 to 8 inches of soil will promote healthy root growth. It also maximizes water-use efficiency and turfgrass quality.
The best times to water are between 2 and 8 in the morning. At these times, water use is most efficient, water loss from evaporation is minimal, and distribution is usually good because of good water pressure and limited wind. During the afternoon, water is wasted due to high evaporation rates. Do not water during the evening or pre-midnight hours because thatch and blades are susceptible to diseases if they are wet during cool nights. "
SUPPORT YOUR LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES!
And, be careful. I've read that lawn watering in California can cause cancer.
Do you use super size sprinkle emitters to apply 1/4" or more water to the lawn in 3 minutes?
Sorry for sounding sarcastic. What does your land grant university recommend for watering practices?
Never mind, I found the answer at UC, a GREAT resource:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/irrigate.html
"Water deep and infrequently - Light sprinkling is only beneficial for newly planted turf when the roots are developing in the very top portion of the soil. As turf is established, roots extend deeper into the soil. Light sprinkling will encourage root development only near the soil surface and stunt deeper root growth. Shallow root systems require frequent watering to keep the surface wet, creating an ideal environment for weeds and diseases. Although some grasses have less extensive root systems than others, deep, infrequent watering that allows water to penetrate the top 6 to 8 inches of soil will promote healthy root growth. It also maximizes water-use efficiency and turfgrass quality.
The best times to water are between 2 and 8 in the morning. At these times, water use is most efficient, water loss from evaporation is minimal, and distribution is usually good because of good water pressure and limited wind. During the afternoon, water is wasted due to high evaporation rates. Do not water during the evening or pre-midnight hours because thatch and blades are susceptible to diseases if they are wet during cool nights. "
SUPPORT YOUR LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES!
If you have a healthy soil base than ideally the root system can handle drought conditions better versus non healthy system. If your root system is healthy thriving itself yes water deeply and infrequent.
Also you may have strong drainage soil conditions that needs watering daily. Sandy soil base for example ideally would need a light longer watering time table such as 30 minutes, I'd water this conditions in the midnight time frame provided with an automatic irrigation system.
Clay soil tends to hold moisture in but also deep watering can cause lack of aeration in the soil(worst case drowning the roots)...you need to kind of understand your turf and soil base.
Also you may have strong drainage soil conditions that needs watering daily. Sandy soil base for example ideally would need a light longer watering time table such as 30 minutes, I'd water this conditions in the midnight time frame provided with an automatic irrigation system.
Clay soil tends to hold moisture in but also deep watering can cause lack of aeration in the soil(worst case drowning the roots)...you need to kind of understand your turf and soil base.
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Thanks guys, I am currently watering 3 mins per day in the early morning (7:15am). Dad told me it isn't enough as my lawn is a bit brown rather than golf course green, but I don't mind it too much and would rather preserve water instead. I used to water it about 6 mins every other day instead, but that seems to cause some of the plants in pot not to do as well.
This is the picture of the lawn during the rain season, it is a bit dryer now because I don't want to water too much (don't go to the yard as much anyways, so as long as it is alive it's all good to me).
Show Meh Water The Lawn A Bit More Daniel Son! Hi Yah!
Thanks guys, I am currently watering 3 mins per day in the early morning (7:15am). Dad told me it isn't enough as my lawn is a bit brown rather than golf course green, but I don't mind it too much and would rather preserve water instead. I used to water it about 6 mins every other day instead, but that seems to cause some of the plants in pot not to do as well.
This is the picture of the lawn during the rain season, it is a bit dryer now because I don't want to water too much (don't go to the yard as much anyways, so as long as it is alive it's all good to me).
Show Meh Water The Lawn A Bit More Daniel Son! Hi Yah!
Originally Posted By: dkryan
Your focus should be on watering thoroughly and deeply each time you water your grass. You should provide at least one inch of water to the soil each time you water. And watering one time per week, early in the morning, for a time period that allows for that one inch of water to be applied is what you are aiming for.
It depends on your soil and climate. If you have clay soil, watering 1 inch at a time will easily flood the lawn and waste water as much of it will simply run off. It's better to split the 1" watering into 3 sessions per week for clay, or 2 waterings for soil that has good drainage
Your focus should be on watering thoroughly and deeply each time you water your grass. You should provide at least one inch of water to the soil each time you water. And watering one time per week, early in the morning, for a time period that allows for that one inch of water to be applied is what you are aiming for.
It depends on your soil and climate. If you have clay soil, watering 1 inch at a time will easily flood the lawn and waste water as much of it will simply run off. It's better to split the 1" watering into 3 sessions per week for clay, or 2 waterings for soil that has good drainage
During this hot spell and drought we've had I keep the grass a little longer and water at night (I'm too lazy to water early in the morning). Watering during the day causes grass to burn, because the water acts like a magnifying glass, and burns it. Early morning is best, the experts say.
Having said that, my lawn is by far the best looking lawn on the block. So much so that the neighbors ask me what I do to get it that way.
When I do water, twice a week I give it a very good soaking. It seems to work, but then again I cheat and have Zoysia Grass.
Having said that, my lawn is by far the best looking lawn on the block. So much so that the neighbors ask me what I do to get it that way.
When I do water, twice a week I give it a very good soaking. It seems to work, but then again I cheat and have Zoysia Grass.
Kestas
Staff member
During the hot spell we've had (and still having), I stopped mowing the lawn. It's not too long, and it stopped growing. Every summer I can go for a month in the heat without mowing.
Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Originally Posted By: dkryan
Your focus should be on watering thoroughly and deeply each time you water your grass. You should provide at least one inch of water to the soil each time you water. And watering one time per week, early in the morning, for a time period that allows for that one inch of water to be applied is what you are aiming for.
It depends on your soil and climate. If you have clay soil, watering 1 inch at a time will easily flood the lawn and waste water as much of it will simply run off. It's better to split the 1" watering into 3 sessions per week for clay, or 2 waterings for soil that has good drainage
I respectfully disagree, tony.....
I live in the clay capital of the world and to water only 1/3 an inch per watering three times per week is not only a waste of time and water, it will easily set you up for poor root growth (the roots will remain shallow as that is where the water is at).
It's when you've had no rain for 30+ days in the middle of summer, then experience a one hour deluge of rain, that you will see runoff.
An established lawn with deep root growth and healthy soil will oftentimes negate runoff, even with clay soil.
Originally Posted By: dkryan
Your focus should be on watering thoroughly and deeply each time you water your grass. You should provide at least one inch of water to the soil each time you water. And watering one time per week, early in the morning, for a time period that allows for that one inch of water to be applied is what you are aiming for.
It depends on your soil and climate. If you have clay soil, watering 1 inch at a time will easily flood the lawn and waste water as much of it will simply run off. It's better to split the 1" watering into 3 sessions per week for clay, or 2 waterings for soil that has good drainage
I respectfully disagree, tony.....
I live in the clay capital of the world and to water only 1/3 an inch per watering three times per week is not only a waste of time and water, it will easily set you up for poor root growth (the roots will remain shallow as that is where the water is at).
It's when you've had no rain for 30+ days in the middle of summer, then experience a one hour deluge of rain, that you will see runoff.
An established lawn with deep root growth and healthy soil will oftentimes negate runoff, even with clay soil.
Never -- unless the kids are running through the sprinkler. Our lawns typically dry up this time of year -- through the end of Aug. Our city actually encourages this behavior. Whenever it starts raining again, the lawn magically turns green. No $200 water bills, no mowing while it's 95 degrees, and I'm happy.
Besides, I grew up on a farm. During the summer, the $200K tractor and $300K combine gets parked on the "lawn". (current prices)
Besides, I grew up on a farm. During the summer, the $200K tractor and $300K combine gets parked on the "lawn". (current prices)
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