HOW TO PROPERLY WATER YOUR LAWN AND GARDEN

Metro Orlando FL | Kissimmee - Sanford - Leesburg

At Heron Home and Outdoor we specialize in Florida lawn care services, providing expert lawn maintenance guides to keep your yard looking pristine and healthy, preserving the health of your lawn, plants and shrubs and protecting your outdoor spaces from lawn pests. From general guidance on the best time of day to water your garden, to specific advice on drip irrigation and which types of grass will thrive in the Florida climate or changing seasons. Trust our experts to help you make the most of your outdoor space!

Wondering how often you need to water your lawn? There is no absolute watering schedule. As the seasons change, watering frequency will also change. There is only one correct way to water: Let the grass tell you when it needs it. This means wait for the first sign of wilt. You will see the leaf blades fold in half lengthwise and a blue gray appearance to that area. Another indicator in this area will be when your foot prints remain long after being made. You should see this before you water. Not applying water at this time will result in the decline of the brown areas and drought tolerant weeds to germinate. Applying water prematurely will result in aquatic weeds such as dollar weed and sedge.

WHEN IS THE PROPER TIME TO WATER YOUR LAWN?

Water your lawn in the early morning hours, around 3am, after the dew has formed but before sunrise. You should be finished no later than 9:00 a.m. Watering at the proper time helps reduce fungus, evaporation and wasted water.

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU WATER YOUR LAWN?

One of the most important components of a healthy lawn is the amount of water you apply. It’s important that you apply enough water to wet the entire root zone, which is 8–12 inches deep. In order to do this, you will need to water ¾ of an inch per zone, each time you water. However, every irrigation system is different. You can test how much water your system is applying per zone by placing cylindrical containers in various spots throughout your lawn:

• Make sure that all containers are the same size and that there is one placed in each zone of your system.
• Turn on each zone separately and allow it to run its full run time. By the end of your irrigation system’s full cycle, each cup should be holding at least ¾” of water.
• If some of the cups are not holding that much water, you should adjust your system as necessary to make sure that all zones are receiving the same amount of water and adequate coverage.
• Depending on your system, the average run time per zone will be 25 minutes to 125 minutes.
• Once each zone is tested and you determine the ideal length of watering time required, this is the length of time you should always run your system for when the first sign of wilt appears.

These recommendations are based on no water restrictions. Please adhere to your local ordinances.

WHY DOES MY LAWN HAVE LOCALIZED DRY SPOTS?

During dry conditions, you may start to notice brown spots forming in your lawn. Those spots are your lawn signaling you that it’s not receiving enough water in those areas. Be sure to check the irrigation in those spots to ensure proper coverage. Do not rely on seeing the water hit those areas. Follow the steps above to be sure that your lawn is receiving at least ¾” of water in those dry spots. If it is not, then adjust your system as necessary to ensure that your lawn is getting proper coverage and enough water.