Summer is nearly here; the days are getting longer, and the sun is getting hotter. Even though areas of the country are very wet, many of us are finding our lawns are getting very dry. So, this month we're bringing you our top five tips to water your lawn efficiently and effectively.
- Whilst the main goal is to ensure you make the time to water the lawn in general, you can increase how effective the watering is by watering during the right time of day. Because the sun and wind increase the evaporation rate, watering your lawn early in the morning or late in the afternoon will help maximise the amount of water your lawn absorbs, better supporting the overall growth and health of your grass, meaning you can water less often.
- There's no hard and fast ways of precisely determining the perfect amount or duration of watering for everyone, but we have a few handy hacks to help guide you. If you are using a sprinkler, place a small plastic container in the flow area of the water and mark a line that indicates 25 mls. Once the water fills the line, you've probably watered enough to keep your lawn happy. If you're watering with the hose, it's a little harder to tell. A good rule of thumb is to poke a finger into the lawn; if you can drive in a little bit and feel the water has made it down into the root area, then you have probably watered adequately.
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The other question many ask is how often they should water their lawns. We recommend deep watering at least once per week for an established lawn. For a new lawn, refer to our new lawn guide.
- Avoiding mowing your lawn too short will also help with water retention. Excessively short lawns allow more evaporation and drying of the soil than slightly longer ones, so whilst you may think that you are cutting a corner by mowing your lawn that little bit shorter, you may be making your life that little bit harder.
- Our last tip may seem obvious, but many people miss this! Check that your soil is, in fact, absorbing the water. Sometimes your ground can become compacted and struggle to allow the water to penetrate deep, preventing good root growth. If you notice the water seems to sit on top of the ground rather than soaking in quickly, you may want to consider using a product to help. We love the Lawn Solutions Lawn Soaker. It will help increase your lawn's ability to soak up the water and help drought-proof it; you can grab this one.
Whilst this video is 'getting on a bit' it's still very relevant:
So, if you notice your lawn is looking a little sad, before you reach for the fertiliser, or begin to panic that you’ve got some kind of grub killing it, check that you are watering it enough! It's one of the most straightforward and most missed lawn maintenance steps. If you get stuck and can't seem to get your lawn looking good, even if you're watering it frequently, don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our lawn experts are always happy to help!
