Water; You Can Have Too Much of a Good Thing

Water; You Can Have Too Much of a Good Thing

5

JULY, 2017

Lawn Care
Maintenance

Did you know that there is such thing as drinking too much water? Depending on our circumstances, we should only drink about one to two litres a day, too much can start to harm us. This, of course, changes if we are involved in exercise or we’re out and about on an extremely hot day. But, too much water can flush all the good nutrients from our body and upset our electrolyte balance. There can even be kidney damage.

It’s the same with turf. If you don’t water your lawn correctly, there can be catastrophic effects. And, there are so many ways you can mess it up. But it is also so easy to get it right.

Photograph by PIP Photography

Your lawn may not need as much watering as you think. This is especially the case for Sir Walter turf. Sir Walter turf has one of the lowest rates of water requirements for turf. Once your turf is established, it will only need to be watered about once a week, if that. Any rain will reduce the amount of watering that you need to do.

So that it can create a healthy root system, give your turf a deep watering of about 20mm. Frequent, shallow watering means the water will either evaporate too quickly or remain damp and encourage disease.

You can measure how long it takes to provide your lawn with 20mm by placing a plastic container under your sprinkler and time it as it fills up. Then, you can set your sprinkler to water for that time in the future.

Try not to overwater shady or already damp areas. This will encourage thatch rot, fungus and lawn disease. You should also try to give areas around tree roots a bit of extra water as the tree will soak up a lot of the moisture in the soil. During cooler seasons, like winter, your lawn won’t require the same amount as during summer when the sun is burning down on it.

The best time to water is in the early morning. You won’t lose too much water through evaporation and will prepare your lawn for the hot, dry day. Watering in the afternoon or night will mean that your grass will stay damp, leaving it vulnerable to disease.

By installing an automatic irrigation system, you can have all the thought done for you. Along with a rain sensor, the system will make sure that your lawn isn’t overwatered, is watered at the best time of day and your lawn will be in good hands if you go away. All that is left is for you to do is enjoy your fresh, healthy lawn.