Our last post talked about some tips to keep your foundation strong during this heat wave (which seems to be slightly waning!). A big part of that was keeping your lawn watered and healthy. Keeping soil packed is crucial to making sure your foundation doesn’t sink and crack. So here are a few tips to keeping your lawn watered properly, so it can stay green and healthy not just for appearances sake, but for the overall well-being of your home.
1) Timing
Wait until the lawn shows signs of stress before watering. You don’t want it to be saturated. An easy way to do this is to insert a screwdriver 3 inches deep into the soil. If the soil is moist at that depth, you don’t need additional watering.
2) Quantity
A typical lawn will require between 1/2 inch and 1 inch of water per week. You can determine the rate of your sprinkler by simply placing a few cans in it’s path and measuring after 15 minutes or so.
3) Dethatching
Excessive thatch (essentially gunky stuff between health grass and the soil) will prevent the water from being absorbed and will simply create a run-off. Aerating your lawn will make your lawn hold moisture much better, and will require less watering. Raking will also be a good solution and will make your lawn a bit cleaner.
4) Scheduling
The best time to water your lawn is earlier in the day when there is still dew. Mid-afternoon watering causes some of the water to evaporate before it has a chance to settle. Watering in the evening doesn’t allow the lawn to dry enough before nighttime, leaving it more prone to disease.