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Natural Lawn Care
Water Deeply but Infrequently
Moisten the root zone
Grasses do better when the whole root zone is wetted and then partially dries out between waterings.
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Avoid frequent shallow watering that causes shallow rooting. Overwatering can promote lawn disease, leach nutrients from the soil, and wastes water.
Water about 1 inch per week during July and August. Use less in late spring or early fall – let the weather be your guide. Water slowly, or start and stop, so the water penetrates rather than puddling or running off. Sandy soils will need lighter, more frequent watering because they can’t hold much water. Water early or late, not in the heat of the day when it will just evaporate.
Watch the weather
Watch the weather (don't water if it's going to rain) and watch your lawn. Signs of a lawn that needs more water include a duller color, and the "footprint test": grass blades that stay bent in your footprint rather than popping back up. See Irrigation and Sprinkler Tips for information on how to use evapotranspiration (ET) rates to match your irrigation to current weather conditions.
Let your lawn go dormant
Consider letting the lawn go brown and dormant in the summer. Watering deeply but slowly, so it penetrates, once each rainless month will help support dormant lawns so they recover better in the fall. (Perennial ryegrass lawns on sandy soil should not be allowed to dry out completely - this grass needs some moisture to survive.) Avoid heavy traffic on dormant lawns, or regularly water the play/high use areas to prevent damage. When rain returns in the fall, overseed any thin areas to thicken the lawn and help crowd out weeds.
Watering new plantings
Newly planted lawns need daily watering if planted in the late spring or summer. Replant in September to avoid that chore, but be ready to water if it stops raining.
When to aerate and dethatch
Aerate the lawn if water won’t penetrate because of soil compaction or thatch buildup. Dethatching will also help if there is heavy thatch buildup.
Related links
Smart Watering
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