Water is the main ingredient for most earthly life-

forms. For your lawn, this is especially the case given

that turf is made up of 75%-80% water. Without

human intervention, lush springtime lawns can be-

come deserts of desiccation by this time of year. So

your lawn needs water. But what are the best prac-

tices needed in order to give your lawn what it needs

in a way that both is effective and efficient? A com-

mon reaction to dry grass is to water your lawn on a

daily basis. This method may green up the grass in

the short-term, but it leaves your lawn ill-prepared

for extended periods of drought. Frequent waterings

allow turf grass to absorb water through the upper

part of the plant, close to the grounds surface. But

the most sustainable turf draws water up from

deeper in the soil through well-established roots. The

best way to develop these roots is to make sure the

water is soaking deep into the soil. To ensure a thor-

ough soaking, the best strategy is to water less fre-

quently, but for a longer period of time.

The goal should be for your lawn to receive 1 to 1.5

inches of water per week, and for the water to reach

down at least 6 inches into the soil with every water-

ing. It takes an average sprinkler about two hours to

dispense an inch of water. So an ideal schedule is two

separate hour-long watering sessions per week. In re-

ality, your ideal watering schedule will depend on the

makeup of your soil. Sandy soil absorbs water

quickly, but also dries out quickly. Soil with large

amounts of clay takes longer to absorb water but

holds it for a long time. Sand and clay are extremes -

most lawns’ soil falls somewhere in the middle.

Finding the right schedule will take experimentation,

but keep this in mind: If a six inch screwdriver cannot

be easily interested into the soil, it is not yet

throughly watered.

In addition to an established schedule, here are a few

other tips to keep in mind so that your watering is as

efficient as possible:

• Make sure that your watering areas do not overlap - you don’t want to water the same area twice. • Be mindful that you are not watering your walkways and driveways - they don’t need it. • Up to 30% of water from sprinklers can be lost to wind and evaporation. Water in the cooler parts of the day where there is little or no wind. In general, the early morning is better than the evening. Extended periods of cool moisture (overnight) can lead to fungus and should be avoided if possible. If you are tired of watering and spending hours doing so all summer long, call Shannon Lawn & Landscape to install an irrigation system for you. We serve many towns through Connecticut including Stratford, Shelton, Trumbull, Monroe, Milford, Westport & more.