Here are some helpful tips to consider when irrigating your yard:

Length of grass

Keep grass at 3.5 inches in height to encourage deeper roots, shade the ground and retain more water. Aerate your lawn to help water infiltration.

How much water is needed

Established lawns require only one inch of water per week, including rainfall. Overwatering is detrimental to the lawn, as it encourages shallow, weak roots, as well as fungal diseases. Place empty tuna cans around your yard to determine how much water your system puts out in a typical watering cycle.  Adjust the time for each watering cycle to avoid excessive and wasteful watering.

How often should I water

Infrequent, but deep watering cycles are best. Letting the upper layer of soil dry out between watering will help prevent weeds from sprouting and lead to a healthier lawn.

Best time to water

Water in the early morning between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m. Afternoon evaporation requires more water to get the same amount of water into the soil. Early evening and night watering should be avoided.  The lawn may remain wet longer, promoting lawn diseases and fungus.

More important tips

At least once a month, observe your sprinklers while the system is running.  Redirect your sprinkler heads to make sure that the sprinklers are not spraying into the street or on your driveway.  

If it’s raining, turn your sprinkler system OFF!