For many people, a lush green lawn is soothing and a symbol of homeowner pride, as well as a pleasant place to relax or play games or golf. ball place. But taking care of the lawn is not that easy. For example, irrigation. Giving too much water or not watering in time will affect the visual effect of the lawn. So how to irrigate the lawn to save water and be effective? Let’s take a look. .
Method/Steps
1Water only when the grass needs it. Water conservation isn't the only reason to limit how much you water your lawn. Overwatering is detrimental to the health of your lawn and encourages the growth of fungus and disease. Some types of grass require more water than others, and environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind can significantly affect how often you water your lawn. Fortunately, the most accurate way to determine if your lawn needs watering is also the simplest: just look at the grass. - When grass needs water, it will begin to look bluish-grey and some of the older leaves of the grass will begin to curl up or wilt.
- Footprints in the grass remain on the grass longer than usual, meaning the grass does not "bounce back". When 30 to 50 percent of your lawn shows these symptoms, its time to water.
2Watering deeper is beneficial to the growth of deep roots. Frequent shallow watering encourages weeds and causes plants to have shallow root systems, making them more susceptible to drought and certain diseases. Watering only when the plant really needs it encourages the grasss roots to grow downward, but you must use enough water each time so that it reaches the entire root system. - The most accurate way to determine root depth is to dig a small hole and measure how deep the roots have grown.
- Alternatively, you can follow these general estimates: If you have a bluegrass lawn, you should water to a depth of 15-20cm of soil each time, while for most other species, the water depth should be 20-20cm. 30cm deep. You can determine how long your sprinkler system needs to be on by one of the following methods:
- Turn on the sprinkler system for 15 minutes. After 18 to 24 hours, dig a small hole to see how deep the water has penetrated, or use a probe in the watered area (the probe will easily penetrate the moist soil). You can also dig into the soil with a shovel and use leverage to break up the soil so you can see the soil beneath the topsoil. Once you see how deep the water goes in 15 minutes, you can calculate how long you need to leave your sprinkler system on.
- For example, if the moist part of the soil is 8 cm, and the depth of the moist soil you want is 15 cm, you need to turn on the sprinkler system for 30 minutes each time you water (2 x 15 minutes).
- Estimate how much water you will need based on soil type. Under normal circumstances, 2.5 cm of water will penetrate 30 cm into sandy soil, 15-20 cm into loamy soil, and 10 cm into clay soil. Using these estimates is not as accurate as digging the soil, but its close, especially if you have good knowledge of soil composition. Calibrate your sprinklers by knowing how long you need to leave the sprinkler or sprinkler system on.
3Water in the early morning. When you use a sprinkler head, some of the water droplets evaporate before they hit the ground. On a hot and windy day, a lot of water evaporates before it can reach the plants. To reduce evaporation losses, water between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., when the air is still cool and the wind is usually calmer. - Avoid using hot water to water your lawn. On hot days, the water in the hose may be very hot from the sun! It is best not to water on that day, but to wait until early the next morning. After the sun goes down, turn on your hose and drain it of the hot water.
4Adjust the sprinkler head before watering. Aim the sprinkler head where it should be sprayed, not the sidewalk or street! Slightly adjusting your sprinkler heads can save a lot of water. Ideally, you shouldn't get any of it onto your sidewalk, patio, street, or driveway. 
5< /span>Avoid runoff. Even if the lawn spray is correctly aimed, many people still water until the water runs off the lawn and onto the street or driveway. This wastes a lot of water without doing your lawn any good. - If water starts to run away from your lawn and you haven't watered your lawn enough, turn off the sprinklers for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the soil to absorb the water, then continue watering as needed (rotating the sprinklers from one spot to another) One place is fine too).
- 6Some soils absorb water more slowly than others, but runoff can also be caused by excessive thatch buildup, which can lead to lawn diseases - Sometimes it can also be caused by excessive watering over a long period of time.
7Let the rain work for you. Nothing wastes more water than watering on a rainy day. If your sprinkler system has a timer, purchase and install a rain sensor that automatically closes the valve when it rains. If possible, also avoid watering when rain is forecast later in the day or the next day. Your grass should be fine, even if it looks stressed. - Use a rain gauge tool to determine how much rain you are getting, then water as needed.
- If you are expecting rain and the soil is dry, turn on sprinklers to moisten the soil so it can absorb the rain more easily.
8Find a rain barrel. Use rain barrels to water gardens and landscaped areas. Properly installed rain barrels can collect rainwater from your home’s gutters and provide ample water for gardens and landscaped areas. Collecting this rainwater reducesMinimize runoff, otherwise it is likely to mix with garbage, oils, fertilizers, pesticides and other contaminants on lawns, sidewalks and streets. This also reduces the amount of pollution entering rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. 
9Water the problem areas yourself. Many lawns have one or two spots that need more water than others. South-facing slopes (north-facing slopes in the Southern Hemisphere), or lawns with only one unshaded area and shade elsewhere are two common examples of these "problem areas." "If you water the high-demand areas every time, you'll probably water the high-demand areas normally and overwater the other areas. Instead, water those two areas yourself, or use a system with other Locally separated sprinklers.
Tips
- Local extension services or water departments can provide additional information on how to water your lawn and other techniques for conserving water while keeping your lawn in tip-top shape.
- To learn about other ways to make your lawn greener and to discover some sustainable alternatives to treating your lawn, check out our related Production Department articles.
- While deep watering can make your grass more drought tolerant, watering enough to moisten the soil "beneath" the roots is needlessly wasteful because grass cannot absorb water deeper than its roots.
- If you live in a place with mild, wet winters and dry summers (i.e. a Mediterranean climate), consider letting your lawn go dormant during the summer. You'll have a nice, green lawn most of the year without needing to water it at all. Sure, your lawn will turn brown from the summer heat, but it will return to green when the weather changes (although some types of grass may need to be reseeded). The technology has become popular among environmentally conscious residents of the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
- Overwatered grass exhibits some of the same symptoms as underwatered grass. If you notice some symptoms but the soil is moist, stop watering.
- Aerate your lawn once a year to increase soil infiltration (aka water absorption) and reduce runoff problems.
- To check if the soil around the roots is adequately watered, squeeze the soil into a ball. If the ball is moist and retains its moisture, the soil is properly watered. If the soil crumbles when you pinch it or appears dry or dusty, you're not watering enough. If you can squeeze out the water, you're overwatering.
Notes
- Watering in the evening is not recommended. This reduces evaporation (similar to watering early in the morning), but it can lead to the development of turfgrass diseases as the above-ground parts of the lawn plant sit in moisture overnight.
- See if your community has watering restrictions. Many communities have implemented legal restrictions in response to water shortages, such as how many times a week residents can water their lawns, or how often, and/or at what time. If you live in such an area, this article can still help you, but be sure to abide by the restrictions.
- New sod or a newly seeded lawn requires more frequent watering than a mature lawn. More frequent watering of lawns that have been patched due to disease may also be beneficial.
- Be sure to check local ordinances before purchasing a rain barrel. In some places, like Colorado, its illegal. Of course, theres no point in questioning those who work in the environmental department because you can't install a rain barrel on your lawn.
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