Water Conservation
Water experts believe that half of the water applied to lawns is wasted. Some of our turf is watered using municipal-treated (culinary) water. This means watering is expensive and water conservation issues must be addressed.
Watering
Watering
The amount of water needed for a bluegrass lawn in Utah varies according to the temperature, wind, humidity and solar radiation. Lawns need less water in the spring and fall, and during mid-summer will require as much as 2 inches per week. The following is a general guide...
Water Requirements
1. To measure the water applied to a lawn place at least five tall, straight-sided cans in various locations at least 4 feet from a sprinkler head.
2. Water for 15 minutes.
3. Measure the depth of water in each can with a ruler to determine the average water depth in inches. Add the number of inches from all cans and divide by 5 or the number of cans you used.
4. Match the sprinkler output (average water depth in cans) with the water depth column in the table.
5. Read the number of minutes to water the lawn in the column depending on the season.
Water Penetration
To determine the depth of water penetration push a long rod or screwdriver in ti the soil. The rod will move easily through wet soil and will stop or become more difficult to push when it hits the dry soil. Mark the rod at the soil line before pulling it out.
Measure the length of the rod that penetrated the soil to approximate the water penetration depth. The amount of water applied, the time required to apply it, and the depth of penetration helps determine a watering schedule. Lawns on sandy soil do not require more water than those on caly soils. The grass still needs the same amount of water, but the frequency of apllication differs.
Over Watering
Water is usually apllied too often and left on too long leading to watering the water table and gutters. Turf studies show that most lawns only need to be watered once every 3 to 4 days to stay healthy and green. Water infrequently and deeply. A large water bill for a small lawn could mean it's being over watered.
To determine the depth of water penetration push a long rod or screwdriver in ti the soil. The rod will move easily through wet soil and will stop or become more difficult to push when it hits the dry soil. Mark the rod at the soil line before pulling it out.
Besides being expensive, over watering damages the lawn contributing to poor growth and causing serious disease problems. Over watering contributes to iron chlorosis causing yellowing in lawns and trees and shrubs. This also demands more frequent fertilizer applications.
Improving a Watering Schedule
If water is applied every day the roots accumulate in the top 1 to 2 inches of soil. This creates weak plants that are more subject to insects, disease and drought damage.
Train roots to penetrate deeper in to the soil by changing the watering schedule to every other day for a couple of weeks, then every third day, and so on. Eventually the grass responds and developes a root system to match the watering schedule.
To calculate how much water to apply divide the amount of water needed for the week by the number of applications. This should provide enough water to recharge the root zone and keep the lawn green and healthy.
The following chart indicates the number of days between watering once the lawn has adjusted from a daily watering schedule.
Watering