It’s super hot these last few days across the Midwest. In fact, I have trouble remember a high-heat stretch like this one in several years. I count 11 days over 90 degrees in the last 3 weeks. That means we need to ensure we are watering those lawns right guys! Here is all you need to know.
Summer Lawn Dormancy – It’s OK
Before we talk about watering, let’s talk about brown, dormant lawns in summer. You see, the turf has a natural defense mechanism that helps it stay alive during long periods of hot and dry weather. It just goes dormant and stops growing as it retains just enough water to keep the crowns alive.
Just so you know, it’s ok to let your lawn go dormant in summer as long as it gets around ¼” of water every 10 days or so.
I personally don’t like a brown lawn, but if you can live with it, you will save the water bill and your lawn will come back to “life” in the fall naturally.
One side note: if your lawn is dormant in summer and you want to bring it out, simply water it heavily (about 3 hours per area) for 3 days straight; then follow the schedule below.
How To Water Your Lawn In Summer
This is simple advice, but you have to follow it in order to keep (or make) your lawn green during the heat of summer. If you pay attention to detail in the beginning, you will see results in the end.
1) Use The Right Sprinkler – The best type of sprinkler to use is called an “Impact Sprinkler” or “Impulse Sprinkler.” These sprinklers keep the water low to the ground so it is not as easily blown off target by wind. In addition, impact sprinklers keep the water in larger droplets that more easily penetrate through the lawn’s thatch layer and to the soil to be absorbed.
2) Water In The Morning – if possible. We want to get down the irrigation prior to 10 AM so the majority of water is absorbed and not evaporated away by the sun. Let’s make max use of the water we spread guys! If you can’t water in the morning, then evening is your second best choice. Just be aware that warm water on the lawn all night can create fungal problems. However, it is better to water in the evening rather than not at all.
3) Lay Down ¾” of water 2x per week. In most cases, each part of your lawn should be watered twice per week and we want to get down ¾” of water each time. I recommend you use a rain gauge to determine how long it takes your sprinkler to lay out ¾” of water. Once you know, you can then gauge the timing of the rest of your watering schedule. For me, with my impact sprinkler set on a 180 degree radius, I can get down ¾” in about 90 minutes… your mileage may vary. Remember: 2 waterings per week and lay down ¾” of water each time. If it gets super hot over 90 degrees for several days, you may need to add a third day of watering to the schedule.
4) Water After The Lawn Is Cut – if you cut your lawn on Fridays, then I recommend that Saturday for sure should be one of your watering days. The shorter the grass is (like right after a mowing) the more water can get onto the soil.
5) Shaded areas need less water – if you have areas of moderate shade, you have probably already figured this one out, but it is worth mentioning just in case. Shaded areas retain natural rain and dew better, and don’t have stress from direct sunlight, so they very rarely need to be irrigated.
That’s really it guys. The real key here is to stay consistent with it. Try to water on similar days each week and keep an eye out for areas that you may be missing. It’s that simple!
