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When to Water My Lawn in New Jersey?
It goes without saying that, as a homeowner, one of the most important things you can do for the health and appearance of your lawn is maintain a proper watering schedule. While it might seem like a no-brainer, watering your lawn correctly actually takes a bit of practice—in fact, most homeowners overwater their lawns!
Your lawn needs approximately 1 inch of water a week to maintain its health and vibrance, although this can vary based on your species of grass, the time of year, and weather conditions. To make your lawn maintenance in NJ a little easier, here’s a helpful FAQ for all of your lawn watering questions.
How Do You Know if Your Lawn Needs Water?
The biggest indications of your lawn needing water are turf color, soil dryness, and grass elasticity. There are several ways you can check on the hydration levels of your grass as you're creating your schedule for lawn maintenance:
- Take a look at your turf: if it has a blueish-gray color to it, it probably is starting to dry out.
- You can also take a screwdriver and attempt to push it down into your soil. If it goes in up to six inches easily, your lawn is hydrated. However, if you encounter resistance, it means your soil is dried out and your lawn needs water.
- In a hydrated lawn, footprints should disappear within a few minutes of someone walking on the lawn. If they remain for a half-hour or longer, your lawn needs water.
What is the Best Time of Day to Water Your Lawn in New Jersey?
The best time of day to water your grass in New Jersey is early in the morning. This is the point of the day when the heat and wind will be at their lowest, which will help water better penetrate into your soil without as high a chance of evaporation or run-off.
Many new homeowners may want to water their lawn at night in the summer to avoid having to spend time out in the heat of day. However, watering in the evening can actually damage your turf by making it more susceptible to disease and fungi, as adding excess moisture to your lawn at night creates the perfect conditions for fungi to thrive. In order to avoid potential lawn disease, it’s best to water your lawn in the early morning.
How Often Do You Water Your Lawn in New Jersey?
Avoid watering daily, and instead aim to water your lawn two to three times a week. It’s also good lawn maintenance practice to water more frequently each week in the summer, as the heat and evaporation of summer make your watering sessions less effective than they will be in winter.
How Long Do You Water Your Lawn in New Jersey?
How long you’ll need to water your lawn depends on your watering method and current weather conditions. Generally, a sprinkler system set-up is going to be healthier and more consistent for your lawn than watering your lawn with a hose will be.
Pro tip: Remember to account for rainfall! Keeping a rain gauge in your yard is a good way to keep track of how much watering time you need to cut each week to adjust for the additional watering your lawn received from the rain!
Do You Water Your Lawn After it Rains?
The easy answer is no, don’t water your lawn immediately after it rains. However, when to start watering again depends on the amount of rainfall and the natural drainage of your lawn. If you're not sure when to water your lawn after a heavy rain, try the screwdriver test mentioned above to see if your lawn is ready for another watering.
It’s also important to keep on top of your lawn maintenance after a heavy rain. Watch out for moss, flooding, and fairy rings during this time. Fertilizing your lawn or lawn aeration are also important to consider if your lawn is waterlogged.
Can You Overwater Grass?
Yes! As we described earlier, your lawn needs only about an inch of water each week. If you’ve been overwatering, your lawn is not beyond repair. To correct the damage caused by overwatering, call up a lawn service company for advice and to learn about services like aeration that can help restore your turf.
The common signs of an overwatered lawn are:
- Grass that is squishy a few hours after watering.
- Yellow coloration.
- An increase in fungi, moss, and algae.
Still Have Questions? Call the Professionals!
This guide offers a lot of information for you to get started developing a lawn watering schedule in New Jersey. However, these watering tips are just the start of what you need to keep your lawn thriving. If you want support with your lawn care in New Jersey, our experts at Healthy Lawn are your go-to resource for everything related to lawn maintenance. Call us at 732-238-5296 to learn how our lawn aeration, tree and shrub care, and insect control can help you keep your lawn looking its best.
