Proper and efficient watering is critical for a healthy, flourishing turf. No amount of fertilization or weed control can correct or offset improper watering. If you want a healthy, green lawn throughout the growing season and your lawn has not received adequate weekly rainfall (1”-1 ½”) then you must water along with proper maintenance.

How much or how long: Water deeply (heavily) once a week for best results. Do not water lightly every other day. Frequent and light watering may make you feel you’re getting enough water to the turf but you are not. First you need to determine how long each zone should run. You will need to measure each zone because the number of heads, different nozzles and other variables will make times differ from zone to zone. The easiest way to measure is to set out 3 or 4 empty tuna or cat food cans spread out in the zone. These cans are usually about one inch tall with flat sides. Make sure your heads are adjusted correctly (not spraying way out on the concrete or street) and that they overlap. Next run the zone manually and see how long it takes to fill up the cans (start with one hour). Let’s say you have two zones, zone one takes 1hr to fill up the cans and zone 2 takes 30min. For you to put out 1 ½” of water on your lawn you will need to run zone 1 for 1 ½ hr and zone 2 for 45 minutes.

When: The most efficient time to water is before sunrise and after sunset. This will help minimize evaporation. This time parameter will change as the season does. Do not water too late into the morning and try to be finished within an hour of sunrise. For example, if you use the above determination for zone times and sunrise is around 7 A.M. then you would want to start your system at 4:15 A.M.

Refer to our Heat Stress Damage information for watering during hot and dry summer conditions. Contact us with questions or concerns at 770-632-7288 or www.aabbylawncare@bellsouth.net .