Watering Tips

Watering your lawn or garden is the key to a successful season. These helpful watering tips should be used as a guideline allowing for weather conditions:

New Lawns:

• Keep seed bed moist for duration of germination (7-10 days).
• Mulch hay will keep seed from washing off slopes.

Established Lawns:

• Old Farmers’ Trick – Step on the lawn. If the lawn bounces back quickly, no need to water. If the lawn crunches down, needs water badly.
• Do not water when the humidity and temperatures are both high. This causes a fungus problem.
• Even if your lawn turns brown, it doesn’t mean your lawn is dying. It is in a dormant stage and will come back after the first hard rainfall.
• Water only during dry weather conditions.

• How Much Water? – Water lawn once a week during dry spells. Be certain one inch of water is applied each time. Testing for water accumulation can be done with any pie plate. Set plate at outside perimeter of area to be watered. When one inch of water has accumulated in it, move to the next area for watering.
• When to Water? Timing of watering is crucial. Water early in the morning and complete before 9 AM. Night watering is not recommended, as it can cause fungus to develop.
• Height of Lawn: Raise your mower blade to three inches off the ground if possible. A taller lawn shades itself, and protects the lawn from weeds and dryness.
• Fertilize with a slow-release organic fertilizer to feed lawn slowly and frequently. Keep in mind organic fertilizers have to be applied more frequently to obtain best results.

REMEMBER: A good lawn program takes two years to produce favorable results.

Vegetable Garden Watering: For your flower and vegetable gardens, follow these simple watering rules.

• Never water overhead. Use soaker hoses to water the roots, watering overhead can create a fungus problem.
• Use the soaker hose for a full day, once a week depending on weather conditions.
• Water deeply to be sure plants get all they need.
• Fertilize as recommended

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