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How Much Water Does a Lawn Really Need?
by Robin Reckard
Description: Tips for ensuring your lawn receives the amount of water it needs.
Well, while your soil type, the amount of sunshine, and the climate all
come into play, a good rule of thumb is 1 to 1 1/2 inches a week.
What is most important is HOW you water. You want to water deeply and
infrequently to have a healthy deep rooted grass lawn.
Let's say you decide on 1 1/2 inches a week. You can do it in 2 doses
or one, but don't do just a little each day. If you do a little each
day your grass will have shallow roots and you can have all kinds of
drought problems.
Now if you have sandy soil it is best to water your lawn twice a week
since sandy soil drains faster and soon the water becomes too far down
for your thirsty grass roots to reach it.
By the same token, if you have dry heavy clay soil you may need to
water 3 times a week due to it's water repelling qualities.
If you are unsure how much water your sprinklers put out in an hour,
then put out a few plastic tubs to measure how much water your lawn is
getting and then adjust your watering time accordingly. Also by putting
out several tubs you can see if your sprinklers are watering the whole
yard evenly or not.
The best time to water is early in the morning. If you wait till
afternoon you lose some of your water to evaporation. If you water at night
you could be inviting diseases to your lawn because of the length of
time it stays wet.
A couple tips to ensure your lawn looks great when it gets really hot
out is to not mow as short and to leave the grass clippings on the yard.
By increasing your mowing height the lawn is less stressed and able to
cool itself. Also grass clippings left on the lawn will actually give
the grass's roots more moisture and minerals which will help it to be
less stressed. Contrary to popular belief grass clippings will not cause
thatch buildup.
So you see it is just as important how you water as how much you water.
It is not that difficult to keep your lawn green and lush with a little
planning when it comes to watering.
Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine keeps busy
producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and
enjoying her six year old daughter.
Visit Jorbins Gardening and Landscaping section
to read more great articles
about gardening and lawn care.
