Should Grass Be Watered in Sun?

When to Water Grass

• The best time to water your grass is before 10:00 a.m., according to Oregon's Water Resources Department. At this time the sun isn't shining directly on your grass, causing water to evaporate instead of allowing it to seep down into the soil. Although watering your grass at night isn't harmful, it can promote fungal growth since the water rests on the grass blades longer than during the morning, when the wind blows and days warm causes some evaporation. A simple way to tell if your grass needs to be watered is to stick a 6-inch-long screwdriver or a stick into the ground. If the screwdriver penetrates the ground easily, you probably don't need to water your grass.

Considerations

• Your grass requires 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water each week, depending on the temperature. To determine how long it takes to feed your grass an inch of water with a sprinkler, set a bucket 6 feet away from your sprinkler and turn it on. Allow the bucket to fill with 1 inch of water and you keep track of the amount of time it takes. Use this time to determine how long to leave the sprinkler on. If there is rain in the forecast, cut back on watering.

Under-watering

• Signs that grass is not receiving adequate water include, but are not limited to, weak blades that don't spring up when stepped on, ground that is difficult to puncture with a screwdriver or stick and grass that remains warm after the sun goes down. If your grass shows any of these signs, water it more frequently. One effective method of watering grass evenly is to use a stationary sprinkler system.

Overwatering

• Signs of overwatering include pooled areas of water, water bubbles forming when you step on your grass, mushy soil and fungal growth. Another sign of excess water is moss or algae growth in your grass. Prevent overwatering by turning off sprinklers after a healthy rainfall and making sure your lawn has adequate drainage.