If you’ve got a grassy patch, you’ve probably found yourself asking how often should you water your lawn? And as turf experts, we’re asked this question a lot.
How often you should water your lawn very much depends on where you live. In Brisbane, we have the weather on our side for a lot of the year (sun, sun, and more sun). In fact, we enjoy nearly year-round sunshine. For your lawn, all that sunshine can mean a lot of growing. And growing lawns need water.
So, how often should you water your lawn? Let’s find out.
How often should you water your lawn?
Check Out Water Restrictions
As your very first step, before you set up any watering schedule, check out any water restrictions that may apply locally. You’ll certainly want to comply with those regulations or risk fines.
General Rule of Thumb
How often you should water your lawn depends on the season, grass type and where you live. For the Greater Brisbane area, we tend to plant what are known as ‘warm season grasses’. These include grasses from the couch and buffalo families.
For watering frequency, the rule of thumb is:
- In summer, aim to water every three to four days.
- During spring and autumn, aim to water every seven to ten days.
- In winter, water as required.
If you water more frequently, particularly during hotter months, it can cause your lawn to shallow root. Over time, this makes it tough for your lawn to access water and nutrients, and become more susceptible to weeds, fungal disease, and pests.
Timing
The best time to water your lawn is the sweet spot between when you can and when it’s best for the lawn. Ideally, water early in the early morning, before 10am. This is the best time to water as the water can penetrate the soil before the heat of the day causes it to evaporate. This is particularly important in summer, which in Brisbane can be for a good six months of the year
If you can, avoid watering your lawn at night, as it will stay wet for longer, and this can cause fungal growth.
How Much
The next question after how often should you water your lawn, is how much should you water your lawn? When you water, wet the soil to a decent depth. To work out a ‘decent depth’, use a shovel to push into the soil. You want to see a good 3cm – 5cm watermark on your shovel. Over time it’ll become more like second nature, and you won’t need the shovel each time you water. Deep watering encourages deep rooting in your lawn, which will result in a higher quality turf.
Watering a New Lawn
Newly laid turf will take up to a year to establish a root system sufficiently deep for it to be drought tolerant. So, you’ll need to watch it more carefully. Consider adding in more frequent watering, particularly across the hotter and dryer months. Deep watering at that time will allow it to sufficiently develop its root system making it strong and lush. More importantly, it will be more able to stand difficult growing times like winter months or drought.
If you’re laying a new lawn, we’ve recently shared a few how to tips. Be sure to grab a bucket of Lawn Launcher to spread on your soil before the turf is rolled out. It contains Moisture Magnets Premium Water Crystals, which are essential to retain water in the lawn and establish strong roots. It also contains fertiliser granules with trace elements and minerals, which supports growth and robustness.
Bonus Tips or a Lush, Green Lawn
Here are a few bonus tips for a healthy, lush lawn that will drive your neighbours green with envy.
- A healthy lawn is less likely to suffer from moisture stress, and a pest free lawn won’t be competing for water.
- If you’re in Brisbane, be sure your lawn is tolerant of our hot conditions. Our range of Couch and Buffalo turfs are great for the Brisbane climate.
- Mow only as often as you need to, and at the correct height. Read up on our tips for how often you should mow.
- Read up on our top five lawn care tips.
Get in touch to talk through your specific lawn needs with us.
We’ve answered the question, how often should you water your lawn, but we’ve got lots more to say on the subject! For lawn watering tips and much more, head over to our product info page. Keep tabs on our how to page to find helpful blog posts like this and more. And if there’s anything else, remember you can contact the expert team at Rock n Soil any time!