For the perfect lush, green lawn, it is vital to know when to water your lawn.  The best time to water your lawn however depends on a number of factors and we’ve outlined some of them for you here.  If you’d like to know more or get to advice on watering your specific type of grass, your local lawn and turf professional will be only too happy to help.

Water Your Lawn Early!

The best time of day to water your lawn is as early in the morning as possible, in fact, just before the sun comes up if you can.  Why?  Watering this early allows you to take advantage of the dew that is already on the grass and the water will be able to soak right down to the grass’s roots without evaporation.  The soil will also stay moister throughout the day.  If you don’t like to get up that early, you can put your irrigation system on a timer to do the work for you!

Don’t Water at Night

If you can help it, you should try not to water your lawn as the sun is going down or after.  Why?  Watering in the evening means that the ground will stay moist, giving the chance for bacteria, diseases and funguses to thrive.  If these take hold, your lawn’s root system will weaken, causing browning of the grass or even areas dying off.  If you do have to water in the afternoons, do it early enough to allow the excess water to dry off before night time.

Control How Often You Water

It can be tempting to water your lawn every day in the hope that the water will encourage your grass to grow thick and beautifully green. However, this is not necessarily the best thing for your lawn!  It’s a good idea to water your lawn deeply every few days or weekly rather than shallow watering it daily.  What this does is place the lawn under mild drought stress so it sends the roots deeper in order to find a water source, causing a stronger root system in the long run and a lawn that is tougher and better able to stay looking good in drier periods.

When to Water New Lawns

If you’ve just seeded a new lawn or laid new turf, there are exceptions to how often to water your lawn.  To help your lawn to establish or germinate, you should be watering your lawn a few times a day so that it stays moist and encourages roots to dig down or the seeds to sprout.  If you are under water restrictions, you can get a permit from your local council to allow you to do the necessary watering to establish your new lawn.