On an in-ground sprinkler system, which would be better for the lawn (details inside)?
Asked by
rojo (
24179
)
August 18th, 2017
Would it be better to water every day for “x” minutes or every other day for “2x” minutes?
You would use the same amount of water and should use the same amount of electricity but which would do the lawn more good?
Seems like the every day one, if set right, would produce less runoff but are the plants better off for it? Would it depend upon such factors as temperature? Would water loss through evaporation differ?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
7 Answers
Depends on various factors including type of grass, how much rain, whether fertilizer used, and not least, city city watering regulations. At my previous house in Austin I was allowed to water any length of time twice a week. 20 to 30 minutes per each of 6 irrigation zones on Wednesdays and Saturdays worked well for my Bermuda grass.
Are you in the US? Your state university agricultural extension may have a lot of information specific to your area.
When I had a lawn, I took a 2 hour class with the extension. Also I sent them a soil sample and they analyzed and gave detailed lawn care recommendateoins for $40.
Short answer: I don’t remember the watering recommendation, but they had one. It was once per day, can’t recall if it was morning or evening.
I would just let the grass grow tall.
@Call_Me_Jay What a great idea. We have one of the leading agricultural and mechanical universities in the US here in town. I am sure they will have some ideas.
@Pachy Mostly St. Augustine with a little Bermuda thrown in for good measure (or more likely where the St. Augustine won’t grow). We do not have any restrictions yet. We have in the past but this year there are none.
@ragingloli The neighbors bitch and I haven’t been able to let it get tall enough to hide out in yet.
In any case, I think it would be better to simulate naturally occuring rain cycles. Heavy use of water for an hour every few weeks.
First, find out how much water your lawn needs each week. Then find a can that holds that much, put it out where an average spray occurs, and run the sprinklers long enough to fill the can. Then run the sprinklers that long, once per week, at night,
Do not cut the lawn shorter than 2.”
Depends on what you are watering, but usually it’s better to water grass every other day for 30 minutes per zone. Some zones might need less if they are small areas or low lying areas, or get water from your neighbor unintentionally. The longer water cycle helps the roots grow deeper, and the grass is stronger and heartier.
The best thing is to look up your type of grass and your growing zone and see what is recommended.
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
