Watering

[Eric Wettschreck]

I live in SW MN where we've never had a problem with thick lawns. The topsoil here is about 2 feet of fertile black dirt. Last summer and fall we didn't get any rain. Throw pretty much no snow this winter in the mix and now my yard is full of spots here and there that just don't look very good, borderline dead looking.

My weak attempt to get a lawn back has been watering. I move the sprinkler around a lot and try to cover everything, which isn't easy as I have a pretty big lawn. My question is, can you water too much? Or, do I keep on doing what I'm doing?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Typically grass needs about an inch of water per week.

If you don't have an in ground irrigation system, one way you can track how much water your yard is getting, is by taking a cake pan and placing it under the sprinkler.

Start the sprinkler, and start a timer. Once you get an inch of water in the cake pan, check the timer. That's how long the sprinkler should be in one area.

If the water just runs off before you have an inch, then you will have to shut the water off, let it soak in, and then start up the sprinkler again.

In times of high heat or low humidty (now) you may have to give the yard 1.25-1.5" of water, as there is much evaporation.

If yiu don't see standing water, you really can't over water grass. If you're on a well, or don't mind paying the water bill, water away.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Thanks for the info. No water bill for me so I'll just keep on keeping on with the sprinkler and hope for the best.

[LwnmwnMan2]

One more thing that we have noticed for customers with big areas in the lawn that aren't coming around yet.

Those areas have been 3-4 degrees cooler for whatever reason. Maybe on the north or east side of a house or tree, or even just slanted a certain way and not absorbing as much heat from the sun.

You can get a digital thermometer from Wal-Mart or wherever for about $10 in the kitchen isle.

You could check that and eliminate that if it's an issue.