Fresh, vibrant and rich. A recently watered lawn is high on the list of aesthetically pleasing views, especially on a warm sunny day.
Sometimes it’s obvious when to water your lawn on certain days (or seasons).
Other times it can be tricky to determine when you should water your established lawn. The last thing you want to do it kill your turf by overwatering it!
To know when the right time is to water your lawn, keep reading below.
When should I water my lawn in summer?
In summer, you should water your lawn more than you do during other times of the year. Australian summers are known to be hot and dry, and it doesn’t often disappoint! Sometimes it can go weeks without a drizzle!
If the weather has been consistently hot with little rain, it is best to give your lawn frequent deep watering, around 2 to 3 times a week. This is better than overwhelming your lawn with several daily spills of small watering periods.
While our summers are expected to be dry, we sometimes experience an influx of rain and floods during the season too.
In this case, you are recommended to base your watering schedule off the local rainfall forecast. If it has recently rained, refrain from watering as this should suffice.
If it hasn’t rained for a few days and the weather is warm, give your lawn a good watering every three days or so until the weather has become dry.
Once the frequent heat has returned, you can swap back to the usual summer watering schedule mentioned above.
When should I water my lawn in winter?
Winter is known to bring cloudy and wet weather in Australia. While it may sound like miserable conditions, it can be a blessing for your lawn!
If it is often raining, you won’t need to worry about watering your turf. The rainfall is a great substitute. Plus, the chilled climate doesn’t usually make your turf thirsty.
While rain is expected, sometimes winter can be dry. In this case, you should still give your lawn a light watering but no more than once a week. This way you can maintain moisture and keep your lawn from drying out.
What time should I water my lawn during the day?
When it comes to watering your lawn, there are certain times of the day that show better results for your lawn than others.
The best time is during the early morning or in the late afternoon when there is minimal chance of water evaporation. These times also provide little wind.
Avoid watering your lawn during the hottest points of the day such as mid-afternoon. This is when evaporation is most expected, deterring water from being soaked up. It also means you are using more water than needed. And nobody wants to waste water.
Meanwhile, evenings are not recommended for watering your lawn as it leaves moisture on the grass for far too long.
This can actively encourage fungal and other diseases to grow on your lawn, ruining its health.
When should I be watering my lawn after certain events?
Is your lawn new? When you buy new turf, you should be watering your lawn more than you would an already established one. New turf needs to be laid straight away to take root, relying on water to do so. This means frequent daily watering is required.
Have you dropped foreign chemicals on your lawn like chlorine or pool salt? Be sure to wash your turf immediately. This can burn your grass, so you must wash the lawn to dilute the chemicals before it can impact your turf.
Are you planning on fertilising your lawn? It is essential to give your grass a deep soak afterwards. This will stop it from burning the grass and will allow the fertiliser to soak into the soil and penetrate the roots.
Other instances such as browning or wilting grass is also a good sign you should be watering your grass.
Crusty grass means it needs water, so it is best to give your lawn decent ongoing water to improve its health.
When watering your lawn, you must keep in mind any restrictions. In Australia, we often experience droughts which generally coincide with restrictions on water usage.
If there are limitations on watering your garden, please adjust your schedule to abide by these guidelines.
Have further questions on proper ways to water your lawn? Read our page dedicated to watering your lawn to learn more.
Are you looking to purchase new turf instead? Offering a range of high-quality turf varieties, we’ll be happy to deliver you quality turf supplies!
Visit our website to discover our affordable turf prices!
