Recently imposed statewide outdoor-water-use restrictions
have many homeowners wondering if their lawns will survive.
But watering restrictions, coupled with wisely watering when
you’re allowed, can actually help make your lawn healthier.
“People think the more water they give their turf, the
better it will perform,” said Gil Landry, an Extension
Service turf scientist with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“But if your turf gets too much water, you create a catalyst
for disease,” Landry said. “An inch of water a week is the
rule of thumb.”
Watering turf more often than recommended will actually hurt
its performance. “Light, frequent irrigation produces
shallow and weak root systems,” Landry said. “A shallow root
system prevents efficient use of plant nutrients and water
in the soil.”
When watering lawns, the only water that matters is that
which makes it to the roots. A thorough soaking once or
twice a week helps roots grow deeper. Deeper roots lead to
healthier grass.
But do your homework first. Timing is everything, said Kerry
Harrison, a CAES engineer. Too little water or too much at
the wrong time may hurt your lawn while raising your water
bill.
It’s crucial to know how much water gets to the grass roots,
Harrison said. “Not knowing your irrigation’s application
rate, whether it’s a sprinkler on a hose or a permanent
system, is like driving a car with no speedometer,” he said.
Different systems apply water at different rates. Hose-end
combinations vary the most in rate and uniformity. Space several
rain gauges evenly in the watering area to learn your system’s
application rate.
Watering at the right time is critical, too. Luckily, the
time that virtually all watering restrictions allow watering
is precisely the best time to do it.
“We have research, numbers and all the evidence we need to
know that you can lose as much as half the water if it’s put
out during daylight,” Harrison said.
Direct sunlight, high temperatures and a light wind can
evaporate water or blow it away from the target. “That means
you have to put out twice as much,” he said. But your grass
won’t get twice the benefit.
Watering during the day increases the time the grass is wet
and makes disease problems more likely, too. At night, the
grass is wet from dew already, so more water won’t hurt.
Landry said mowing your lawn regularly is important, too,
especially during a drought. “Mow often enough that no more
than one-third of the leaf tissue is removed during a
cutting,” he said.
“And raise the mowing height. This helps the grass maintain
a deep root system,” he said, “which helps it find more
water.”
