Copyright 2010-2011 Updated December 9, 2011 Ultralawn, Inc. 1055 East 260th Street Euclid, Ohio  44132 (216) 731-7756 (440) 951-3738 About • Lawn Care • Trees/Shrubs • Pest Barrier • Questions • Contact Lawn Care   We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions Watering Although the amount of rainfall we receive in Northeast Ohio is generally ample, it is not always uniformly distributed throughout the year. It becomes necessary to provide supplemental watering to keep turf grasses growing well, especially during summer months. Water is lost from the soil through drainage, evaporation, and plant use. If plant or soil water content becomes limited, drought stress, followed by turf grass death, may occur. When Is Watering Necessary? Many variables influence the amount of water used by turf grasses. These include amount of direct sunlight, humidity, grass types and rate of growth. Rooting depth and soil texture also affect the water requirements of turf grass. Grasses, which are more deeply rooted, can extract water from a greater volume of soil and may be more drought tolerant than shallow-rooted grasses. Finer textured soils hold more water than coarse soils and require less frequent watering. Because so many factors interact to determine turf grass water use, it is difficult to give a general estimate of how often to water a lawn. The best technique for determining when to irrigate is to observe both soil and plant conditions in the lawn and then water when the turf needs water, rather than based on the calendar. Effective Watering Practices  Frequent lawn watering often encourages shallow rooting and may affect the lawn to increased disease and greater susceptibility to stress. Watering deeply and less frequently provides for improved turf growth. When watering becomes necessary, wet the soil to a minimum depth of 4 to 6 inches. This amount of water varies with soil texture, but approximately 1 inch of water should thoroughly wet most soils to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Placing empty cans under the sprinkler allows you to determine when an appropriate amount of water has been applied to the entire lawn. Midday watering is inefficient due to substantial evaporation losses. Night watering should be avoided it may provoke or aggravate disease problems. Very early morning watering, before dew has dried, is the best solution, because it provides for efficient use of water (low evaporation) and does not contribute to disease stress. Summer Dormancy Due To Drought Under periods of prolonged drought, some turf grasses have the capacity to avoid death by entering into a state of dormancy. Dormant turf appears straw-colored and does not grow. When drought conditions cease, usually due to late summer or fall rains, the turf is capable of resuming normal growth. Although the lawn may recover when water is no longer limited, the grass is much more susceptible to disease, insect, traffic and wear injury when it is dormant, because it is not growing. Disease and insect injury may also go undetected because the turf is already brown. This can result in the loss of large areas of turf, a loss that may have been prevented if the lawn had not been dormant. Weed infestations will increase because the grass is not actively growing and cannot compete with more actively growing weeds. If a quality green lawn is your goal, drought-induced dormancy can be prevented by timely watering.