This typically means running your irrigation system for about 1–2 hours per week, depending on its type and delivery rate. For example, spray sprinklers should run for about 2 hours weekly, ideally split into three 20-minute sessions, while rotor sprinklers may need 1 hour weekly, divided into two 30-minute sessions.
1. Water Thoroughly: Rotor zones should run for about 30-40 minutes per zone and spray zones 10-15 minutes per zone. 2. Water Frequently : Sod areas should be watered at least 2 or 3 times daily for the first two weeks.
If it is not raining, the lawn can need as much as 1 hour for rotor zones and 10-15 minutes on spray zones. We recommend watering 3-4 times per week. If you still notice dry spots, we recommend supplemental watering in between regularly scheduled water times.
The ideal watering schedule is once or twice per week, for about 25 to 30 minutes each time. Taking care of a lawn doesn't have to be an overwhelming, all-consuming task.
You are better off doing fewer longer watering sessions than shorter watering more often. When you do short watering the water stays near the top of the soil and so the grass roots don't grow deep. This makes them more susceptible to heat and other issues.
The best time to water grass is early in the morning, between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., as the cooler air and calmer breezes allow water droplets to reach the grass roots before evaporating. Watering during this period helps in preventing wasteful evaporation and the risk of lawn diseases associated with nighttime watering.
6. Lawn Sprinkler and Irrigation Systems. If you have a lawn sprinkler and irrigation system, you should know that it's naturally going to work harder during the warm summer months. If your irrigation system isn't programmed correctly or it develops a leak, you might find your water bill creeping higher than usual.
Approximate Running Time: To provide your lawn with 1 inch of water per week, run your spray sprinklers for about 2 hours weekly, ideally split into three 20-minute sessions in early mornings.
A watering session should be long enough to soak the area sufficiently so all the roots receive a beneficial drink. Sprinklers should be set to run for about 30 to 35 minutes at a time twice a week. Your goal is at least 1″ of water a week for your lawn.
If your grass is actually dead, there's nothing you can do to bring it back other than plant new grass. Brown grass, however, can green up following proper care. Oftentimes, that just means water, nutrients, and cooler temperatures for northern lawns and warmer temperatures for southern lawns.
A fixed spray head nozzle might take ~30 minutes to apply 1 inch of water, whereas a rotary nozzle could take 3x as long to apply the same amount. But this still depends on numerous variables such as local water pressure, age of the sprinkler system, condition of the system, etc.
Water Wisely
Many of us water too often and too long. Most lawns need to be watered no more than three days a week in the spring as well as in the summer and two days a week in the fall. This watering schedule is recommended under normal water supply conditions.
The average system uses approximately 15-16 gallons per minute, per station. Here is an easy formula to help you calculate the approximate amount of water you are using each month.
Running multiple zones at once is usually not possible due water-pressure and flow limitations at residential properties.
To make sure your lawn is getting enough water, place empty tuna cans in the areas you are watering and stop when they fill to 1-1.5 inches. (Alternatively, you can buy a permanent rain gauge to monitor precipitation or test your watering.) This can take 15-30 minutes, depending on what you use to water.
For example, rotor sprinkler heads might require 20 to 30 minutes of straight watering time, while a traditional spray head zone will only need 5 to 10 minutes.
In particularly hot and dry climates, give your warm-season grass between 1 and 1 ¼ inches (at most) of water each week. As mentioned earlier, this amount also includes rainfall.
As a fire ignites, the air above it heats quickly and spreads along the ceiling. An automatic sprinkler is typically activated when the temperature reaches within the range of 135-165 degrees Fahrenheit, saturating the fire below it.
Nothing should be in that area between the bottom of the sprinkler heads and the imaginary horizontal plane parallel to the ceiling that is 18 inches below. This is done to allow an even and unobstructed spray pattern from the sprinklers when triggered to extinguish the fire.
A typical sprinkler system with pop-up rotary heads uses approximately 15 to 16 gallons of water per minute per station. An Irrigreen smart sprinkler system uses approximately 6 gallons per minute per head when spraying about 30 feet.
Generally, deep watering means that the soil is saturated to about an 8-inch depth. Healthy plants usually grow their roots down deep.
An unusually high water bill is most often caused by a leak or change in water use. Some common causes of high water bills include: A leaking toilet, or a toilet that continues to run after being flushed, most common. A dripping faucet; a faucet drip can waster 20 gallons or more of water a day.
It's best to run your sprinklers 2 to 3 times per week. Running them in the morning allows the lawn to absorb the most water. It's best to run your sprinklers only to the point where your lawn has 1 to 1-and-a-half inches of water. Newly seeded or sodded lawns need a light misting 1 to 2 times per day.
On average, a sprinkler system uses around 1,200 watts per hour. To put this into perspective, running a sprinkler for an hour each day can increase your monthly electricity bill by around $18. This may not seem like a lot, but it can add up over time.