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

Posted on November 12, 2025

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.
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.

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?

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 on1-2 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.

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.

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.
Too much watering creates shallow roots and weak grass.
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.

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

Set up empty tuna cans (or similar shallow containers) around your lawn, then let the sprinklers run. When you’ve collected about 1 inch of water in the cans, you’ve watered enough. This also lets you know if you’re getting even coverage.

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 must water much more slowly to avoid runoff. 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. You’ll have to water more often but less at a time.

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

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.
If you have compacted soil or heavy clay, aerate your lawn to help improve the absorption of water.
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.
Apply mulch around lawn edges and trees to help retain moisture and reduce evaporation.
Put a rain sensor on your sprinkler system to automatically turn it off when there is rainfall.
If you’re starting from scratch or overseeding, use drought-tolerant grass types if possible. Some varieties simply handle drought better than others.

FAQs About Lawn Watering

Can I leave out watering if it rains?

Absolutely, check your rain gauge to see how much you received, then adjust accordingly. If you got a good soaking, you can let your sprinklers take a break.

What are the signs of drought stress in grass?

Footprints that don’t disappear, blades that fold or curl, and that telltale blue-gray tint all are symptoms that your grass is stressed and requires watering soon.

What is the best sprinkler system for the size of my lawn?

The best irrigation system would be specifically designed for your property. This allows for better water coverage, increased efficiency, and the ability to adapt uniquely to the characteristics of your landscape while improving lawn health overall. Very rarely does one-size-fits-all work with irrigation.

How do I water during watering restrictions?

Focus on deep, infrequent watering on your allowed days. Let every single watering count by allowing water to penetrate deep into the ground.

How do I know if I’m watering too much or too little?

Excess watering can result in yellow or brown patches, bare spots, and mushrooms. A lack of proper watering may result in grass having a grayish color and not springing back up very quickly when walked upon.

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. As a matter of fact, your established lawn actually prefers a hands-off approach.

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: