“How much should I water?” “How often should I water?” “Does my type of grass need more water than my neighbor’s?”

All of those are excellent lawn care questions. And you need specific guidelines about watering in north Texas, since our needs differ from other parts of the country due to types of grass, temperature, longer growing seasons, and many other factors.

So here are five tips for watering your lawn in north Texas:

Frequency Of Watering

Most types of north Texas grasses only need watering about one inch a week, and it doesn’t matter much if you do it all at once or one-half inch twice a week. If it is above 95 degrees each day, like in August, that may need to go up to 2 inches per week.  And you catch a break from watering if it rains that week. Note that not all grasses require the same amount of water to thrive. For example, Bermuda and Zoysia grasses only need about half that of St. Augustine. When it is mid summer and over 95 each day, turn up the water regardless of the type of grass.  Also, if you mow your own lawn, raise the mower deck so your grass helps itself by shading itself and it’s roots.

Watering Yardstick

A six-ounce tuna can is about one inch deep. If you place that in your yard near your sprinkler, then water. Time your watering session. When the can is full, you have watered an inch.

Over watering

Watering too much, too fast can cause runoff. When that happens much of your fertilizer, pesticides, even your soil, can end up in he street or gutter. Also, over watering can literally “water-down” your yard’s nutrients below the grass’ roots.

Timing of Watering

Water before 10:00 am. Mid-afternoon watering can cause up to 30% of your water evaporation. Late night watering leaves your yard more susceptible to diseases.

What to Look For

Periodically inspect your grass for wilting or discoloration. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), when you first spot these signs of stress, you have 24-48 hours fix the problem before serious damage occurs.

The two most important keys to efficient water usage is consistency and thoroughness. Under watering results in a brown, lifeless lawn; over watering creates weak root systems that makes for a weak lawn. Proper watering doesn’t require a lot of over thinking or over analyzing, just consistently following simple guidelines will give you a positive result.

These lawn watering tips should help you keep your yard with the optimum amount of water to keep it healthy and thriving.