What’s the Best Time to Water Grass In Each Season?

Discover Watering Tips That Your Lawn Desperately Needs 

It shouldn’t be difficult to water your lawn. Of course, it’s not as simple as turning on the hose and spraying for a few minutes. Even more so if you want a green, gorgeous yard.

Watering should suit your location, the soil, the season, your grass, and more. So the experts at Fairway Lawns are sharing all the details about watering well, including the best time to water grass. 

When Is the Best Time to Water Grass? 

When it comes to watering, timing is everything. There are times of the day that really work to your advantage and others that don’t.

What’s the absolute best time of day to water grass? Early morning: between 5 and 10 a.m. That’s because once the sun’s up, the plants start absorbing water from the soil. You want to make water available to your grass when it wants it the most. That means sunrise and shortly after that point.

Other reasons why? There’s generally less wind in the morning, your grass won’t lose as much moisture to evaporation, and water pressure is stronger in the morning, allowing for better sprinkler coverage.

The early evening, between 4 and 6 p.m., is also an acceptable time to water. It should be your backup option, though, since there is a slight risk of fungal growth when you water at this time.

As the temperature drops overnight, the dew condenses on all available surfaces. If it’s too much for plants to handle, the grass is vulnerable to disease and fungus, along with lawn pests.

Lastly, avoid watering grass in the middle of the day, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You’re pretty much wasting money and water. After all, hotter temperatures equal more rapid evaporation and less water for the grass to actually use.

How Often Should You Be Watering? 

It depends. You’ll probably be surprised to learn though that deep, infrequent watering is the best approach. Don’t just water your lawn lightly every day. Water deeply 2 to 3 times per week. This encourages deeper root growth and a healthier lawn overall.

At the same time, you need to be flexible with your watering schedule. Rainfall, drought conditions, and local water restrictions can force homeowners in the South to switch up how often they’re giving their grass a drink in an instant. Really pay attention to the weather and how your lawn looks!

Overwatering

You might be doing your best to achieve the perfect lawn, but spraying your grass nonstop won’t help. You really can have too much of a good thing. And overwatering causes problems such as puddles, mushrooms, discolored grass, a squishy feel underfoot, and runoff.

Underwatering

Happy grass looks great, thirsty grass doesn’t. It may change from bright green to a dull green or gray or the blades will start curling up. It also won’t spring back up after you step on it, which means you can see your footprints after you walk across the yard. In general, when you don’t water enough, your lawn just looks tired.

Watering In Each of the Seasons

Spring 

• As the weather starts to warm up, your lawn goes from dormancy into active growth. Adjust your sprinkler system schedule according to the pattern of your local weather and the specific needs of your lawn.
• Spring often brings rain, so you may only need to irrigate if you’ve gone 5+ days without precipitation. Watch for new growth. That’s your signal that things are ramping up.

Summer 

• Longer days, hotter weather, and less rain equate to the lawn needing more water than during any other time. Hot weather and cranked-up evaporation rates mean you need to water early and deeply.
• Instead of doing daily watering as soon as summer shows up, aim for extended watering sessions that let the moisture soak in deeper to the soil.
• Watch for signs of heat stress. Prolonged hot weather can make the soil surface hard or crusty and impede water absorption. Some areas will be too wet; others will appear not to get enough as it runs off.
• If you find problems such as sogginess or runoff, you may need to aerate your lawn or call in a professional to deal with compaction. Be sure to address those issues before you run your sprinklers for a longer period.
• Pay attention to the weather, your soil, and local restrictions. Rain, wind, and drought conditions should influence how you adjust your watering. It’s important to not just set it and forget it during summer months.

Fall 

• Evaporation rates slow down as temperatures drop. In other words, your lawn needs less water. Cooler weather, shorter days, and greater rainfall allow you to reduce the number of days on which your sprinkler system is set to run.
• Pay attention to the weather forecast, but also pay attention to your lawn. In fall, that’s your best guide to watering.

Winter 

• Yes, you should keep watering in winter, but only if it stays above 40°F. In most southern regions, you will continue to need occasional irrigation during warm, dry spells.
• In colder areas, winterizing your sprinkler system most likely will be necessary to protect it. This would include draining as much water from the system as possible, as well as insulating any above-ground pipes to prevent freezing damage.

What’s the Right Amount of Water? 

Think in terms of inches, not minutes. Your grass needs a certain depth of water reaching the soil. That’s the important thing. How long it takes to deliver that depth depends on your sprinkler type, water pressure, soil, and coverage, which is why 20 minutes in one yard can mean something different in a neighbor’s. 

Want to figure out your own numbers? Set a few empty tuna cans or a rain gauge around the lawn, run your system for a typical cycle, and measure how much water collects to see how long it takes you to reach an inch. 

We can’t offer one single run time for every lawn. The best schedule is the one you’ve measured for your particular yard. That’s what will help you hit the 1 to 2 inches per week that southern lawns thrive on.

Pay Attention to Grass Type

Warm-season grasses are a blessing and a curse. Bermuda, St. Augustine, zoysia, and other grasses in the South are ready for extreme temperatures and droughts. As a matter of fact, that’s why they require less frequent watering compared to their northern counterparts.

For cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass, it just can’t get enough water. They require more frequent waterings because they simply did not evolve to deal with triple-digit summer temperatures.

How to Never Overwater or Underwater

How long? How often? How deeply? Most southern lawns thrive on 1-2 inches of water per week, rainfall and irrigation combined. But you don’t want to just get the grass wet. The water should get down deep into the soil (6-8 inches) where it’ll reach the roots.

This is what’s called the “root zone.” It’s where a plant’s active roots absorb water, air, and nutrients in order to grow and gain resilience against drought. A light sprinkle won’t get moisture down into the root zone. You need deep watering for that.

Shallow watering tends to create shallow roots, which can’t reach water when dry spells set in. Conversely, deep watering encourages healthy roots to grow. The result? A more resilient lawn.

How do you get just the right amount of water for your grass? Cycle and soak. Rather than just running your sprinkler system once for a long period of time, each zone should run for 15-20 minutes. Immediately following the first cycle, the system is set to run again, creating the “soak” effect.

That’s a good strategy, as the soil is soaking that initial wave of water, takes a little break, and can take more on in the second cycle. This encourages deeper root growth and conserves water that would otherwise run off.

Of course, different sprinkler heads make a difference. Typically, fixed heads water more quickly, rotor heads water more slowly, and rotary nozzles feature slower streams that also may need more time for proper soaking. 

Each of these sprinkler elements has a distinct precipitation rate, which is the speed it waters a specific area, measured in inches per hour. You can measure this by using a tuna can or rain gauge. 

The benefit? You’ll know your system’s exact output and can use that to determine the best runtime for your sprinklers. Because every system is different and requires a different runtime. 

What Watering Mistakes Do Homeowners Make?

• Not considering grass type, soil, or season in an adjustment is failing to adapt to the environment. Pay attention and keep your routine updated.
• Poor coverage or non-uniform coverage usually results from improper positioning of the sprinkler heads, flawed design, or broken parts. When some spots in your lawn are dry while others are flooded, something in your system is not right. A professional will diagnose and repair issues dealing with coverage so your lawn receives the proper amount of water in all spots.
• Not looking for thatch (the layer of material that builds up between your grass and the soil). Excessive thatch stops water from reaching the soil by causing it to sit on the surface or run off and not soak in. If this is happening, you may need to dethatch your yard in those areas.  
• Watering too much. Constant moisture creates shallow roots and weak grass that’s more susceptible to stress and disease.
• Watering at the wrong time of day wastes water and invites disease. Morning is the best time to water grass, while the middle of the day is the worst.
• Breaking local watering restrictions can result in a fine and isn’t exactly neighborly. Check your municipality for any restrictions.
• Infrequently checking or adjusting the sprinkler system. It’s important to occasionally inspect your sprinkler heads before, during, and after a watering session. Look for extremely wet or dry zones, heads that are broken, clogged, or wasting water on sidewalks and driveways. After you adjust the heads, be sure to check your coverage one final time.

3 Ways to See If You’re Watering Well

Screwdriver 

After you water your lawn, try simply pushing a screwdriver into the soil. It should slide in easily 6 to 8 inches. If it does not go into the ground easily, water is not penetrating deeply enough.

Tuna Can 

Scatter several empty tuna cans (or shallow containers) across the same irrigation zone, run your sprinklers for a set period of time, and see how much water collects. Comparing the depth from can to can shows how evenly your lawn is being covered. 

If the levels are similar, your coverage is in good shape, but big differences can point to clogged, broken, or misaligned sprinkler heads. Before you decide to water longer, fix those coverage problems, since running the system more will only make the wet spots wetter without helping the dry ones.

Flow Rate/Timer 

If you’re a math whiz, calculate your sprinkler’s GPM and then match that with the square footage of your lawn. Turn on your sprinkler with the water pressure at full strength and time how long it takes to fill a container with an already known volume. Then calculate the GPM using this formula: (Number of Gallons / Seconds) x 60 = GPM. It’s more work, but gives you more precise information. 

How Soil Changes Your Watering 

Clay soils hold water longer, so you’ll need to water less frequently, but much more slowly to avoid runoff. It’s a soil with higher water retention and slower drainage rate. In other words, clay doesn’t absorb quickly, so patience is a virtue.

Sandy soil does just about the opposite of clay. It drains fast. Really fast. This lower water retention means you’ll have to water more often but less at a time to achieve the right amount of soil moisture.

Loamy soil is the sweet spot. You’re in luck if this is your soil type! You get a great balance between drainage and water retention. This lets you mainly follow normal watering guidelines without changing it up too often.

Top Water-Saving Tips

1. Use drip irrigation for garden beds, potted plants, or areas of the landscape. This system delivers water directly to the roots of plants and minimizes evaporation and waste.
2. If you have compacted soil or heavy clay, aerate your lawn to help improve the absorption of water. As water soaks more easily into your previously compacted soil, roots get stronger. 
3. Switch over to smart controllers that utilize real-time weather data for controlling the sprinkler system. They provide your lawn with just the right amount of water, and therefore, less is wasted in the process.
4. Apply mulch around lawn edges and trees to help retain moisture and reduce evaporation.
5. Put a rain sensor on your sprinkler system to automatically turn it off when there is rainfall.
6. If you’re starting from scratch or overseeding, use drought-tolerant grass types if possible. Some varieties simply handle drought better than others.
7. Adjust sprinkler heads so water stays on the lawn and isn’t wasted on sidewalks or driveways. This also helps reduce runoff and wastes less water. 
8. Check your sprinkler spray patterns every now and then. If necessary, reposition heads that have shifted or replace ones that are damaged. 
9. Regularly mow at the correct height for your specific type of grass with sharp mower blades, and never cut more than one-third of the grasses’ blade in a single mowing sessions. This keeps water from resting on long blades instead of soaking in.
10. In any area where there’s an excessive buildup of material in between your grass and soil, dethatch to improve water penetration.

Common Lawn Watering Myths

Myth: You should wait until the lawn is brown before watering.

Brown grass is a sign of stress, not a cue to start. Stick with the 1 to 2 inches per week guidance so your lawn never gets to that point.

Myth: Daily watering is best during extreme heat.

Frequent, shallow watering encourages shallow roots. Even in a heat wave, aim for the same weekly total, and use the tuna can test to make sure you’re actually delivering it.

Myth: Midday is the best time because the lawn is hottest.

Much of that water evaporates before it reaches the roots. Early morning (between 4 and 8 a.m. is the better window, since the water soaks in before the heat builds.

Myth: Footprints mean healthy turf.

It’s actually the opposite. Footprints that linger mean the blades aren’t springing back, which is often an early sign of thirst. Check your watering against the 1 to 2 inches per week guidance.

New vs. Established Lawn Watering Guidelines

Have an Established Lawn? 

This is clearly the easier of the two watering routines. Just go back to that 1 to 2 inches per week rule we mentioned earlier. Again, it’s to get those roots reaching deep down, which only happens with less frequent waterings. 

Your established lawn prefers a hands-off approach. Established grass can even survive dry periods by going dormant, so brown grass doesn’t automatically mean dead grass. Dormant turf may green back up once rainfall returns, which is very different from new seed or sod, since those need consistent moisture to get going. 

Keep in mind that grass type and drought severity still matter, so if a dry spell drags on, it’s worth checking in on your lawn rather than assuming it will always bounce back.

Just Put Down Seed/Sod?

New grass needs lots of care. Get it off to a great start by misting 1 or 2 times daily until germination kicks in. Depending on the type of grass, that usually happens within 10 days.

When your new grass reaches about 3 inches in height, you can cut back on watering to twice a week. The idea here is to gradually get your new grass ready for a normal watering schedule. 

Water You Waiting For?

Now that you know the best time to water grass (and so much more), you should also realize that the best time to call Fairway Lawns for lawn care, pest control, and more is today! We proudly serve seven states and dozens of communities, ensuring high-quality lawn care and pest control services across the South:

• Huntsville, AL
• Birmingham, AL
• Bentonville, AR
• Bella Vista, AR
• Searcy, AR
• Jacksonville, AR
• Greenbriar, AR
• Beebe, AR
• Cabot, AR
• Rogers, AR
• Fayetteville, AR
• Conway, AR
• Springdale, AR
• Fort Smith, AR
• Little Rock, AR
• Jacksonville, FL
• Augusta, GA
• Tulsa, OK
• Columbia, SC
• Greenville, SC
• Charleston, SC
• Knoxville, TN
• Nashville, TN
• Memphis, TN