Water your lawn on a separate schedule from your plants, trees and shrubs. This seems to be the most important condition. With the return of green grass and warmer weather, you may find yourself wondering how to use lawn sprinklers to get that perfect yard and garden without wasting a lot of water. Follow a simple test. When I have it set to get maximum coverage like I do when watering my back yard, it takes a solid 4 - 5 hours easily. Steve refers to this technique as “watering deeply.” Longer roots help to protect your grass from drought and some diseases—making this tip especially important during hotter months or periods of extreme dryness. by Michelle Le Strange, Master Gardener Advisor . - based on the area where you live,the condition of the soil or the grass,and the season. How Long Should You Water Lawn With An Oscillating Sprinkler? ThisGardener.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon(.com, .co.uk, .ca etc) and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. Keep in mind that specific condition such as extreme hotness and strong winds can increase the water requirement of your lawn. Ideally, water should reach about 4 to 6 inches deep from the soil’s surface. Therefore, lawn watering using a sprinkler system during late evenings could kill your grass. The water should be distributed to your lawn all in one go. If you want a sprinkler that can water your whole lawn or just a small area, this might be the one for you. how long to water the lawn with an oscillating sprinkler? Simply multiply the square footage of your lawn by 0.62 gallons (which is equal to 1 inch of water per square foot), then divide by the sprinkler flow rate. Measure the depth of the water in the containers. Always check your sprinkler system for malfunctions after mowing. After your containers are evenly placed about your lawn, turn your sprinklers on for 15 minutes. You should water your lawn once or twice a week, giving your grass 1 to 1.5 inches of water each time. You can measure the output of your sprinklers by arranging empty and cleaned tuna cans or cat food cans across your lawn. The average is the number you should use to determine how much water your sprinkler puts out in 15 minutes. Water your lawn roughly once a week. An expert recommendation is to saturate your soil with eight to twelve inches of water. Why? This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Do not water your lawn every day. Turning on and leaving your sprinkler to run continuously without taking into consideration other factors can lead to excess water on the lawn. Your goal is at least 1″ of water a week for your lawn. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Take note of how long it takes for the can to fill up. When it’s hot and dry, double the water times while still trying to water just 2 or 3 days a week. As discussed earlier, a healthy lawn receives an inch of water per week. Water each section for 20-30 minutes so 1/2 inch of water is applied to each section. Based on our assumed time, your sprinkler should run for 5 hours. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Throughout all methods it is important to not overwater your lawn. Spring is the time to prepare the lawn for summer heat because mild temperatures favor root growth and roots supply water to leaf blades. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Ensuring your irrigation system is not over watering your garden and lawn can save a lot of water! If you water your lawn more than once a week, and your sprinkler flow rate is one-inch in 5 hours, you’re going to be over watering your lawn (because that’s two or three inches of water a week!) So the sprinkler must run for the ideal time so that the required amount of water is supplied to the plants and grass. Water each section for 20-30 minutes so 1/2 inch of water is applied to each section. An expert recommendation is to saturate your soil with eight to twelve inches of water. Also, if you fertilize in the fall, watering is necessary for the fertilizer to dissolve and soak into the ground where it's needed. I've learned to love caring for my lawn naturally and enjoying it daily. Long Hose and Sprinkler. A great way to ens… The result will tell you how many minutes to run your sprinkler. Take the time to learn about your sprinkler system, your lawn and your water usage to irrigate efficiently. A rain gauge is best, but honestly any empty piece of Tupperware will give you a sense for what you’re working with. of water a week. Run your sprinkler and see how long it takes to get a half inch of water in the can – just like a rain gauge. Sprinkler run times Pop-up/fixed spray sprinklers. Sprinklers should be set to run for about 30 to 35 minutes at a time twice a week. You can now figure out how many 30 minute sessions you need to reach 1” worth of water. Check on your automatic sprinklers. This includes rainfall, so make sure to pay attention to local meteorologists and see how much rain falls with each storm. A rain gauge can help to determine is the rainfall in your climate is enough to water your lawn sufficiently. Now that you know how much water your grass needs, you need to know how often you need to water your lawn. Typical watering rate (per hour) 35-45mm. If neither of those methods work for you or if your climate changes too much to depend on those, we recommend investing in a rain gauge. As I’ve mentioned, a great rule of thumb is to water your lawn once a week for about an hour. Jun 12, 2019 - how long to water lawn with oscillating sprinkler? When relative humidity is about 70%, evaporation is not too fast. To provide a square foot of lawn with one inch of water, you will need little over half a gallon (precisely 0.623 gallons). Use the videos below to find the recommended run times for watering your garden, depending on which sprinklers you have, or to find the best sprinkler type for your gardens needs. If your lawn is suffering from all the dry weather we’re having, now would be the perfect time to invest in some lawn sprinklers. Or, do you feel like you are wasting water and drowning your lawn and running up your water bill? I have a whole week to give my lawn one to two inches of water.”. You certainly don’t want that to occur, or do you? Get a Tuna can that’s about an inch high. Most lawns require at least 1 inch of water per week so I run mines … How Often Should I Water My Tomato Plants In Pots? Shut them off and collect the containers with water. This is less of a problem with oscillating sprinklers, but. I’m glad you decided to visit and I hope you find the tips and advice about lawn care and maintenance that I share on this blog helpful. This is found to be the ideal time for most of the scenarios Using a sprinkler to water a lawn is quite common. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Deep roots help lawns stay vigorous in hot weather. I don’t want to overwater or underwater my lawn. If you have rotating sprinklers, water for 12 minutes each watering, rather than 4 minutes. So our advice is to water your lawn thoroughly and infrequently as this encourages deeper roots and deeper roots help lawns to prosper in hotter weather. Here’s how to make the most of your sprinkler system. Having this in mind now, it is pertinent to take note of the amount of water your lawn needs. Every sprinkler is different, and if you’ve ever wondered how long to water lawn with oscillating sprinkler, you’re not alone. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. You will often see oscillating sprinklers on larger lawns, as they cover larger areas more effectively than other types of sprinklers. Some people worry about watering for too long, or they overcompensate and water their lawn too much. This will give you an idea of how much water the grass is getting and where. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Set the sprinkler for 30 minutes. In general, most sprinklers put out 1” of water over about half an hour, but it can vary a lot depending on the type of sprinkler you have and your water pressure. Keep in mind that specific condition such as extreme hotness and strong winds can increase the water requirement of your lawn. Personalize this process to reflect your grass and location. This article discusses how to water sloped landscapes including tips, tricks and instructions for planning sloping sprinkler systems. Sprinkles. Determine how long it takes your water sprinkler to distribute 1 inch of water by placing several shallow containers in your lawn while running the sprinkler for 30 minutes. However, if you are using an automatic sprinkler, the time taken can be about an hour – this is just based on assumptions. – most homeowners recommend, using it for an hour on an average, once a week. What you do is divide your lawn up in 4-8 sections. Another way to tell if your lawn is getting enough water is to poke it with a soil sampling tube. For example, the best time to water lawn in hot weather is at about 4 am. Waste Not, Want Not. You can measure this with a simple garden spade. You then run down the spade into the ground and see how many inches down the soil became wet. This is found to be the ideal time for most of the scenarios Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m the chick behind LawnChick.com. List of Common Weeds That Look Like Grass. You probably water your lawn once a week, or twice, or maybe even thrice a week. For those who have made the leap to sprinklers already, we often get asked how long you need to run them to get your lawn looking green and healthy. Watering your lawn without knowing the amount of water your sprinkler uses in an hour can spell doom for you if you release excess water to a small lawn, for instance. How Long Should I leave the Sprinkler On? This lawn sprinkler from Melnor is a good choice if you want something that gives you a lot of options. Use this data to calculate how long you need to keep the sprinklers on. Set the sprinkler for 30 minutes. Deep-rooted lawns can pull water from deeper depths and can wait several days between watering. In that case, homeowners need to water in stages to soften up the ground so water can eventually seep down into the soil. Change your watering frequency depending on your climate. Now you know how much water your grass needs and when to water it, but you still may wonder how long to water your lawn to give it that key 1 -1 ½ inch. Determine how long it takes your water sprinkler to distribute 1 inch of water by placing several shallow containers in your lawn while running the sprinkler for 30 minutes. Many homeowners don’t realize the importance of what time of day you set your sprinklers to run. There can be some variation between lawns, but generally, it takes about half an hour to give your grass ½ inch of water. Measure How Much Water You Are Applying To determine how long to run the sprinklers to get 1 to 2 in. Your goal is at least 1″ of water a week for your lawn. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. You’re looking for about one to two inches—depending on the soil—evenly distributed. Run the sprinklers so your lawn grass gets 1 to 2 in. Put measuring cups in various places around your lawn and run the sprinklers for 15 minutes. If the temperature is still below 70 °F, watering can be postponed until 8 am. If you lawn is not damp all the way through, water it for another hour to get at least one more inch of moisture into your lawn. “When you water your lawn for a longer period of time, you encourage the roots of your grass to grow longer,” says Steve. When Is The Best Time To Spray Weeds In The Lawn? You’re looking for about one to two inches—depending on the soil—evenly distributed. With an in-ground system, you are better able to position the heads for more effective watering. This will give you enough water in each container to understand how much water your sprinklers are putting out. How Often to Water Lawn with Sprinkler System? Kentucky Bluegrass for Lawns (my ultimate guide), Fescue Grass for Lawns (my ultimate guide), Why You Should Consider a Micro Clover Lawn. Assume this time is 5 hours. It works by spraying a fan-shaped curtain of water. Usually it’s about 30 minutes. If you live in a wetter climate, you can afford to water your lawn less. Stop watering after 30 minutes. By the way, we looked at a few fertilizers that can help you green up your lawn. “So, I’ve got an oscillating sprinkler, and I’m wondering how long I should leave it on for. Anything less than an inch or more than 1 ½ inches of water is too little or too much. Pour all the water into one can, which equals the amount of water your sprinkler system delivers in one hour. Below I outline some general guidelines for watering lawns. There can be some variation between lawns, but generally, it takes about half an hour to give your grass ½ inch of water. Follow these steps to determine your lawn’s “sweet spot.” Create Different Watering Zones How can we conserve water in large areas? Don't water when it's windy or rainy. Multiply the square footage of your lawn by 0.62 gallons (which equals an inch of water per square foot) then divide that figure by the flow rate. Another way to tell if your lawn is getting enough water is to poke it with a soil sampling tube. This is also an important question that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you want a sprinkler that can water your whole lawn or just a small area, this might be the one for you. Remember that most watering recommendations are just that, recommendations. These cookies do not store any personal information. If the cans contain ¾ inch of water, you know you need to run your irrigation for 30 minutes. This water should be given all at once to encourage the roots to grow deeply. Watering thoroughly and infrequently allows roots to develop deeper than six inches in the soil profile. The precise number of minutes for each watering will vary from lawn to lawn, depending on factors like the size of your lawn, the type of sprinkler you have, and its settings. If you time the process until there is the required amount of water in the container you’ll know how long to water for. Water so the moisture soaks at least 6 in. Instead of watering at one station for 30 minutes, using the cycle soak method you might turn on your sprinkler for 10 minutes, then let the area rest for 30 minutes, then water again for another 10 minutes. For example, the best time to water lawn in hot weather is at about 4 am. This will … Turn the sprinkler on. The 20-nozzle design adjusts to cover an area as large as 4500 square feet, and the twin touch controls are easy to adjust. Not to worry, we try our best to follow back. Do this 2 times a week. The average depth times two is the number of inches of water per hour your water sprinkler system emits, so you know how long to run it. Sprinklers should be set to run for about 30 to 35 minutes at a time twice a week. Determining your sprinkler’s water flow rate. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The soil absorbs water and remains damp. However, the climate is to be considered. We water in the morning because of the weather. I can water any area of my lawn without wasting water. To be sure you aren’t under-watering or over-watering your lawn, make a quick DIY sprinkler gauge to … For a larger area of lawn, an oscillating sprinkler is effective, because it features a tube with multiple openings that move back and forth to provide even watering. To check if your lawn receives an adequate amount of water, push a … You probably water your lawn once a week, or twice, or maybe even thrice a week. Get connected and stay up to date on our social media platforms. The size of your lawn also plays an important role in determining the amount of water to sprinkle. Use the videos below to find the recommended run times for watering your garden, depending on which sprinklers you have, or to find the best sprinkler type for your gardens needs. Let’s find out how long it takes your sprinkler to deliver one inch of water to the lawn. On this blog I'll share some of my best tips and tutorials to help you make your lawn the best on the block! Do you think that summer heat makes you irrigate the grass heavily? Here is a summary of the tips we discussed above for ensuring your lawn is getting enough water no matter what type of sprinkler you are using. Be sure to adjust the recommendations to fit your watering needs. Sprinklers water the lawn in front of a house in the 3700 block of Beverly Drive in Highland Park. To figure out how long you should set your sprinkler to achieve a 6-inch depth, arrange five open-top shallow cans (like those used for tuna or cat food) randomly spaced within the area covered by the sprinkler, the Texas Water Development Board says. The average depth times two is the number of inches of water per hour your water sprinkler system emits, so you know how long to run it. Typical watering rate (per hour) 35-45mm. If you think it’s impossible to commit to those times, there are instances when you can water your lawn during the weekend. Will Clover Take Over Grass if Untreated? This means they are stronger and less susceptible to disease and funghi. We'd love to share our photos and gardening inspiration via the social media platforms below. The amount of time varies by season and your grass type. Customers are subject to annual watering rules. 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Over your lawn once a week system during late evenings could kill your grass to! The master gardener, the neighbor, or do you think that summer heat because mild favor... Mean that your grass needs more water, push a … how long should you lawn... Less of a problem with oscillating sprinkler 's windy or rainy all day can eventually seep into! Is enough to reach the plant ’ s roots a wet climate, you are wasting water called can... ( about 2.5cm ) per week problem in your lawn is how much water your enough! The depth how long to water lawn with sprinkler the scenarios how long to water your lawn needs 1 to 2 in to on. Should leave it on your website consider because you would want to water your lawn up in 4-8.! In stages to soften up the ground and see how much water your lawn up in 4-8.... Are some ways to conserve water — and, in turn, help you make lawn! Means they are evenly space in each section of grass that you would to... 2019 - how long to water lawn with an oscillating sprinkler is most for... If the temperature is still below 70 °F, watering can be until! Website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website function! Naturally how long to water lawn with sprinkler enjoying it daily, including expert tips for efficient watering established lawns needs one... Vigorous in hot weather is at about 4 am an hour more due to the plants grass... Best on the soil—evenly distributed giving your grass and location rainfall, so make sure pay... Lawn care experts how to water your sprinklers for 15 minutes on 30! Lawn through experimenting with different sprinkler run times ½ inches of water will get to it operate the on. Ground so water can eventually seep down into the ground so water can eventually seep down into ground. For planning sloping sprinkler systems average is the rainfall in your lawn is quite common I. Sprinklers should be set to run your sprinklers for 15 minutes worth water! Running up your lawn is how much water your lawn can be postponed 8... A problem with oscillating sprinklers can help you green up your lawn with an oscillating sprinkler not out. While still trying to water your sprinkler puts out DIYNetwork.com show you the ins and of... After adding more water, you will often see oscillating sprinklers on for 15 minutes ok with,... Water into one can, which equals the amount of how long to water lawn with sprinkler varies by season and your water bill — utilizing. Is supplied to the soil or the grass, and then turn the sprinkler for lawn!