Lawn Watering Guide and Questions

Q. How many days should I water my grass?

A. First off it is very important to conserve and use as little amount of water as possible to maintain a healthy lawn. Again, for this one local county laws are different for everyone so check the amount of days and what days of the week you are allowed to water. You’ll want to water two days a week in the summer months and one day a week in the winter months adjusting the time accordingly. Set the timer for a Monday/Thursday, Tuesday/Friday, Wednesday/Saturday, or a Thursday/Sunday schedule. During some weeks in the summer months, you may be able to turn the system off as long as the grass blades are not wilted and bent inward, this is a sign of drought.

Q. What time should I start and end my watering?

A. Water in the early mornings ending the cycle as the sun rises (between 7-7:30 am) or in the late evenings when winds and evaporation are at their lowest (start time 9 pm). Watering between the hours of 10am-7pm is completely a waste of time and money. During these hours evaporation is at its peak, preventing the water to absorb into the soil. Not all irrigation systems are the same; some have 2 zones others have 20+. Depending on the amount of zones and the amount of minutes for each zone, start time will vary. Again it is important to have the last bit of water hitting the lawn by 7:30 am or as the sun is rising.

Q. How long should I water each zone?

A. The first step is to determine what type of soil you have. If it is a mucky base that retains water for a lengthy amount of time, you will not need to water as often. If it is a dry, sandy base, watering times may need to be increased. Runoff is another factor. If there are areas that slope down, water retention may be slowed down resulting in an increase of watering time.

Irrigating My Lawn

Pay attention to the grass, if the blades are folding inward, this is a sign of drought and an increase in minutes may be needed. Lawns only need about 3/4″ of water per each watering cycle or equivalent to a small tuna fish can. Simply place the cans or measuring cups outside throughout the lawn and turn the system on for twenty minutes. If the cans or measuring cups are full, then twenty minutes is enough time. However if the can or cups are not quite full, the time per zone needs to be adjusted accordingly.

By following these steps along with a proper mowing and fertilization regimen, your lawn will thrive and reap the benefits.

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Mowing Tips

Q) What is the proper height grass should be mowed?

A) Depending on the type of grass you’re mowing, height will range from 1/2″ to 4″. It’s also important to stick with the 1/3 rule. This is a rule professionals and anyone who cares for their lawn follow. All it means is that between mows you’re not removing more than 33% of the grass blades. Removing more than 33% can create a weakening root system by causing the grass to focus more of its energy on healing rather than root development. Cutting the grass lower than recommended not only increases the chance of scalping your lawn, it stresses the grass and increases its susceptibility to disease.

• Bahia grass is from 2″ to 3″
• Bermuda, Common – height 3/4″ to 1 1/2″
• Bermuda, Celebration – 1/2″ to 2″
• Empire Zoysia Height 1 1/2″ to 2″
• Floratam St. Augustine 3 1/2″ to 4″
• Bitter Blue St. Augustine 3″ to 4″
• Palmetto St. Augustine 2″ to 3″
• Seville St. Augustine 2″ to 3″
• Sapphire St. Augustine 1/2″ to 2 1/2″
• Captivia St. Augustine 2 1/2″ to 3″

Q) How often should I sharpen my mowers blades?

A. Maintaining sharpened blades is vital for the health and growth of all lawns. If mower blades aren’t properly and frequently sharpened, this will leave grass blades ridged and unable to heal properly increasing the risk of disease. The frequency in which you should sharpen blades depends on a variety of variables. For example if there are twigs, leafs or if your lawn has sandy patches throughout, the blades will wear down faster. Same is true for the length in which it takes to mow your property.

For the average homeowner every 4-6 mows you’ll want to sharpen the blades. For commercial lawn service companies it’s imperative to sharpen blades daily, approximately every 4-6 hours of mower use.

Q) What is the degree I should sharpen mower blades.

A) A 45 degree angle is optimal for longevity and sharpness. Once a 45 degree angle can no longer be achieved it is time to replace the set of old blades with a new set of blades.

Q) My lawn has wheel tracks throughout my yard. How can this be fixed.

A) While mowing any lawn the mowers are actually damaging the plant taking away its energy from focusing on root development and growth rather than focusing on healing. Along with properly sharpened blades, it’s equally important to switch the mowing pattern each and every visit. Either switch from a horizontal to vertical paths or add a diagonal path on occasion. Switching patterns (wheel tracks) will ensure your lawn is even throughout without ruts and or dips caused by mowing the same path over and over. Maintaining the same wheel track not only creates ruts but also damages the root system. In due time this will weaken the root system causing patches which will then lead to weeds.

For a further detailed explanation on how to care for you lawn visit the University of Florida’s agriculture page.

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