Should I Run My Lawn Sprinklers Every Other Day in the Summer?

Not Every Day

• Your grass can only take up a certain amount of water. If you water every day, you are probably over watering. This wastes water and bumps up your water bill for no benefit to your lawn. Because daily watering means the ground is always moist, your grass doesn't have to extend its roots down into the soil to locate water. If you can't water, such as during a vacation, these shallow roots make the grass dry out more easily than grass that is watered properly.

How Much

• Rather than think of how often you should water your lawn, change you thinking to how much you should water your lawn. The general rule is one inch of water a week for mild summer weather and two inches a week if the weather is very dry and windy. Small cat food or tuna cans are about one inch deep and make good measuring devices. Using a sprinkler, water your lawn one inch once a week. If conditions require you to apply two inches, water one inch early in the week and then another inch three or four days layer. These amounts include any rainfall in your area.

Watering Properly

• Water is a precious resource, so do whatever you can to prevent wasting water when caring for your lawn. To lessen evaporative loss, never water in the heat of the day. Instead, water in the early morning or in the evening when the sun is low. Also, don't use misting type sprinklers since this increases the chance that the water will evaporate before it lands on your lawn. Choose an oscillating sprinkler or a soaker hose. Make sure all water you use goes onto your lawn, not onto pavement, patios or decks.

Exceptions

• The exception to the deep and infrequent watering rule is if you put in a new lawn. Fresh sod or seed needs to be kept moist. For the first week, you may need to water more than once a day. These waterings should be light, not drenching. Over the second week, water once a day. During the third week, cut your watering down to every other day. Keep reducing the frequency of watering until your are down to once a week.