Take care to water lawns properly

By: Billy Skaggs, Hall County Extension Agent

Ask any gardener, landscape r, or farmer about the weather and you’re sure to hear about the ongoing drought. The hot, dry months of summer are some of the most stressful for plants in the landscape. Without adequate moisture, plants cannot function normally and can become predisposed to other stresses in the environment, such as winter injury or diseases.

To Water or Not to Water:

When it comes to lawn irrigation, you have two choices during long, dry, hot periods in the summer: (1) Water the grass to keep it green, or (2) Don’t water. Let it turn brown and go dormant.

Watering keeps the grass green, but increases the need for mowing, encourages weed growth, can cause lawn disease and raises your water bill. If you decide to let your lawn go dormant, warm-season grasses like centipedegrass, bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass will likely survive and rebound when favorable conditions return.

However, tall fescue lawns may not fare as well. In some cases, extended drought can severely injure or kill tall fescue. Whatever lawn care option you choose, stick with it. Flip-flopping between the two can weaken your lawn.

How to Identify a Thirsty Lawn:

If you choose to irrigate your lawn during drought periods, do so efficiently. Water when the lawn shows signs of "thirst," applying an appropriate amount at the right time of day.

• Foot-printing:
• Color test:
• Check leaves:
• Screwdriver test:
If the soil is very dry, it will be hard to insert a screwdriver into the lawn. Dry grass responds by wilting, rolling or folding the leaves. When a lawn is dry a long time, it will have a bluish-gray cast. Watering brings back the color. Walk across your lawn. If your footprints remain in the grass very long, the lawn is dry.

Watering Your Lawn:

Once you have determined that your lawn is dry, apply about an inch of water. This amount should moisten the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. If runoff is a problem, apply half and let it soak in before applying more water. Early morning is the best time to water. Irrigation timers should be set to water the lawn between 4 and 6 a.m.

Water your lawn only as often as necessary. Applying a little bit of water daily can be harmful, as it can encourage shallow roots. This makes the grass less drought-tolerant. Stretch the interval between each watering to encourage development of deep, extensive roots. Most established lawns do not need to be watered more than twice per week.

For more information on water-saving tips, visit www.georgiadrought.org.