The Best Time to Water/How Often
Set your watering schedule to water deeply a couple times each week rather than daily light watering. Winnipeg lawns require 1-2” or about 2 hours of watering per week for moisture to penetrate to the proper depth.
The best time to water is from about 5 AM to 9 AM. Evapotranspiration (ET) is lowest at this time and watering in the late evening is not preferred because it can promote turf diseases. By watering early in the morning, you are getting the benefit of watering during a low ET period and saving water. It also does not promote a favourable environment for diseases, because soon after you are done watering, the sun comes out and the grass blades dry off while leaving the soil moist. Avoid watering on windy days.
Underground Sprinklers Are a Great Way to Conserve Water
Underground sprinklers are one of the best ways to conserve water. Sprinkler systems make it easy to water early in the morning when there is minimal evaporation and tend to keep the watering directed to the lawn without spraying onto the street or other unwanted areas.
It’s always best to monitor the soil moisture levels and only water when needed. Try using a soil probe to evaluate, or, when you walk across the grass and the blades don’t spring back up, leaving footprints, it’s time for a deeper irrigation. Make sure that when you are deep watering, not to cause runoff, as this can be wasteful and costly as well. When Mother Nature provides water, you can stop watering for a period depending on the amount of rain as well.
Common Misconceptions
While outdoor water use can account for as much as 50% of water consumed by households during the summer, there are easy ways to slow the flow. You can reduce your outdoor water consumption by taking a few simple steps. So, tighten those taps, eliminate those leaks, and water your lawn wisely.
There has long been the misconception that lawns, mainly Kentucky bluegrass, require large amounts of water. This causes lawns to be over watered. This is completely wrong; in fact, most turf grasses will survive on less water if managed properly.
For an established lawn you should use infrequent and deep watering to encourage the roots to develop deeper into the soil. Watering too frequently results in shallow roots, increased susceptibility to drought and disease.
Lawn Watering After Our Applications
Lawns, like all plants, require regular watering to grow healthy and green. While it may not be necessary to water your lawn immediately after our applications, it is beneficial that the fertilizer be watered in to wash the nutrients down to the roots where it can be absorbed by the grass plant. So while watering the next day may not be required, watering over the next few days will provide you with the quickest and best results.
