Homeowners encouraged to water lawns more in heat

Homeowners who usually leave decisions about watering the lawn to the whims of the weather might be having second thoughts as summer gets off to a dry start, a University of Missouri Extension news release states.


Lawns in Missouri may need 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week from either rain or irrigation to stay green and growing, according to Brad Fresenburg, MU Extension turf specialist.


"Grasses that don't get enough water will show symptoms of wilt and later turn completely brown," he said. "Browning means the above ground portion of the grass is dormant while the lower portion remains alive but not growing. Summer dormancy helps grasses survive, but there's no guarantee that a browned-out lawn will fully recover."


Fresenburg offered these watering tips:

 

  • Dormant lawns should receive at least 1 inch of water every two or three weeks to prevent complete turf loss. Thorough watering will bring the lawn out of dormancy, allowing growth to continue.
  • Water a lawn between 6-8 a.m., when water pressure is highest, wind is low and water loss to evaporation is negligible. Lawns watered in the evening remain wet throughout the night, which can encourage the development of turf diseases.
  • Move sprinklers frequently enough to avoid creating puddles and runoff. Hand-water areas that wilt before other parts of the lawn. These hot spots may be due to hard soils that take up water slowly.

"Don't water a lawn if the soil is moist, even if grass shows signs of wilt," Fresenburg said. "Lawns with shallow root systems in saturated soil are susceptible to 'wet wilt,' which can damage roots due to oxygen depletion."


For more information, see MU Extension publication "Home Lawn Watering Guide" (G6720), available for free download at extension.missouri.edu/p/G6720.