Watering your lawn

Can you overwater your lawn?

You can absolutely overwater your lawn. Actually, overwatering your lawn can be as detrimental to your lawn as not watering or under watering. Overwatering causes several different things to happen in your lawn. It can make your lawn more susceptible to fungi, most notably brown patch (otherwise known as large patch). Many different types of weeds also flourish in overwatered lawns, including dollar weed. If you notice an abundance of weeds in your lawn, that you did not have before, you could be watering too much. Applying too much water to your lawn can also cause the color of the lawn to change, signifying a less healthy lawn. If your lawn is turning yellow, or a yellow-green color this is a sign of a lack of Nitrogen. The amount of nitrogen in your lawn and soil can be depleted by watering too much.

Are there any other signs I am watering too much?

There are several other warning signs that can signify you are overwatering your lawn. If, when you walk across your grass you leave "depressions" that do not spring back into place as you walk, you most likely are watering too much. Another sign that your lawn is being overwatered is the blades of grass curling. If you look closely at your lawn and notice the blades curling up, they have been watered too much. In addition to changing color to yellow, if your lawn changes color and is a gray-blue color, you most likely have applied an excess amount of water.

So, what is the right amount of water to apply to my lawn?

The amount of water that your lawn needs differs based on the type of grass you have. A St Augustine lawn needs about 3/4" of water each time you water. Zoysia grass needs 1/2", and Bahia grass needs 1/2-3/4" each time you water. You should water your lawn twice a week during daylight savings time (March-November), and only once per week during Standard Time (November-February). To check how long you need to water, take empty tuna or cat food cans and place them in several areas of your lawn. When the amount of water in the can has reached the desired height (as determined by your grass type), you have watered enough. This only needs to be done once, to determine the length of time needed foe each watering cycle. Never water your lawn between the hours of 10am and 4pm, as most of the water output at this time will just be evaporated by the sun. You should also never water your lawn on an extremely windy day, as most of the water will be blown away by the wind. Be sure to have the rain sensor on your irrigation system checked, to ensure you are not watering during or after rain.


For more information, contact us at:

Hibiscus Landscaping
407-725-0495
www.hibiscuslandscapes.com