If you have a large backyard with a lawn and lots of plants you need to water, here is how you can do it correctly to keep your lawn and plants healthy and hydrated.
Keep your eye on the weather
First and foremost, you need to consider the weather conditions when you’re watering your lawn. If it’s raining on the day you planned to water your lawn, skip watering that day and turn off your irrigation system. Not only is this good chance to conserve water but you also know that your lawn will be properly watered without you having to do anything. Also, check your weather app in advance for at least a few days and if it’s going to rain pretty often in the following week, you also don’t need to water your lawn then. Lastly, avoid watering your lawn on windy days. Wind will evaporate water in the air and drive it off course.
Pick the right timing
The best time to water the lawn is early during cold mornings. This will reduce water evaporation and it will prevent the scalding of your grass. If you water in the evening you may risk having fungal growth on your lawn.
Don’t water the grass every day
Some people make a mistake of watering their lawn every day. All you need is to water your lawn every few days to encourage deeper root growth and more drought-resistant plants. One of the best ways to measure if you watered your lawn enough is to put an empty can of tuna on the lawn while you water it. Once it’s full, you can turn off the sprinklers.
Know when it’s time to water
If it’s been just a little rainy lately, but you haven’t watered your lawn in a few days, how can you tell when you should water it again? To determine whether your lawn needs water, step on the grass. If the blades stand up quickly after you move your foot away, you don’t need to water your lawn yet. If the grass stays flat, you should water it.
Check on your irrigation system regularly
Make sure you maintain and regularly check your irrigation system. If you have sprinklers instead, be careful not to step on them accidentally. Also ensure that the water doesn’t get on the sidewalk, street, or driveway. If you see any issues or broken pieces with your sprinklers make sure to fix them as well as any leaky hoses and faulty valves.
Keep the grass tall
When you’re mowing the lawn make sure you set the blade to either second highest or highest setting. Your goal should be to keep the grass at approximately 3 inches long. This helps shade the soils and prevent evaporation. Tall grass also has deeper roots and grows less quickly.
Only use fertilizer when needed
Though fertilisers help the grass and plants grow, avoid using them too often. Apply these nutrients and fertilise the soil only when the grass needs it. Make sure you are using slow release formulas and low concentrations to get the best results.
Limit grassy areas
A huge lawn tends to consume a lot more water than the rest of the landscaping when combined. You may even notice that your backyard has a lot of grassy areas that are not even being used. So, try to keep turf in places only where they are used as areas for sport or for kids playing around. For other areas, you can lay down mulch. You can also use a more water-efficient groundcover or even a hardscape like a patio or a deck.
Put plants with similar watering needs together
It will help you when it comes to watering to group your plants based on how much water they need. In the area where water irrigation is not easily accessible, place the plants that don’t need a lot of water. On the other end, place the group of plants who require to be watered more frequently. This way, it will be a lot easier to water your lawn and plants.
Make sure to cover all areas
If you’re not using sprinklers and instead you like to take a walk around the backyard as you water the lawn, make sure you have a long enough, high-quality garden hose that will help you reach all the areas of your lawn. You need to make sure the whole backyard is watered properly.
Don’t use too much water
Lastly, don’t use more water than your lawn needs. You don’t want to soak up the ground too much. It will take the grass longer to “drink up” the water you gave them. If the sun comes out and your plants still haven’t managed to soak in all the water, the water will start to evaporate from the ground.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you’re careful about weather conditions, water your lawn at the right time, give your plants enough water, and make sure you cover the whole lawn, consider your lawn healthy and well taken care of