Getting the hang of watering your lawn isn’t as easy as setting up a sprinkler or relying on rain. Too little water leaves your grass dry and patchy, while too much can invite rot or disease. As a rule of thumb, aim for one to 1.5 inches of water per week—but your lawn’s needs might shift with the weather and season.
To help your lawn thrive, we’ve created a guide to watering your lawn, including tips on how long and how often to water. Let’s dive into what it takes to keep your yard healthy, green, and hydrated.
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How Long Should I Water The Lawn?
To keep your lawn healthy, aim to water your grass one to two times a week, providing 1 to 1.5 inches of water each time. But how long this takes depends on your specific setup, including your lawn’s size, sprinkler type, and settings. Here’s how to find the ideal watering time:
- Do a can test: Empty a tuna can and place it in your lawn’s watering zone. Run your sprinkler and check how long it takes to fill the can with half an inch of water. Use this time to guide you if you water once or twice a week.
- Break it down mathematically: Find your sprinkler system’s flow rate in gallons per minute from the manufacturer’s manual or website. Multiply your lawn’s square footage by 0.62 (which equals 1 inch of water per square foot); then divide that number by your sprinkler’s flow rate. The result gives the number of minutes needed to water your lawn.
- Look at a flow timer: Get a timer that measures water flow in hundreds of gallons. Then multiply your yard’s square footage by 0.62 to calculate how much water your lawn needs in gallons. This calculation will give you an estimate of how long to run the sprinkler.
Experiment with these options to find the best fit for your lawn and irrigation setup. Whatever method you choose, avoid watering during peak sun or wind hours to minimize evaporation and ensure every drop counts.
How Much To Water Your Lawn
Finding the right balance is key. Generally, your lawn needs about 1–1.5 inches of water per week. However, how you water can make a big difference, whether your lawn is established or newly planted. Here’s how to keep each one lush and healthy:
- Established lawns: You want to soak the top 6–8 inches of soil, but watering too often can lead to shallow roots and a weaker lawn. Instead of quick, daily waterings, aim for deeper watering once or twice a week. This helps your grass develop strong roots and improves drought resistance. You might need to water a bit more frequently during those scorching summer months.
- Newly seeded or sodded lawns: These need a gentler approach. Water with a mister one to two times a day to make sure the top inch of soil stays moist, but not soggy. Once the seeds sprout or the sod roots in, shift to watering a bit deeper (2 inches) every few days. When the grass reaches a 3-inch mowing height, you can treat it like an established lawn and cut back your watering sessions.
Watering Cool vs. Warm Season Grasses
You need to care for different grass types in different ways to keep them at their healthiest and hardiest.
- Cool-season grasses: These types of grasses, like fescue, rye, and bluegrass, grow actively in the fall. They’ll need about 1–1.5 inches every week until the growing season ends, roughly when the first frost sets in. If you don’t water cool-season grasses during a drought, they will go dormant but re-green when it starts raining again.
- Warm-season grasses: Warm-season grasses that do most of their growing in the summertime, including Bermuda, centipede, zoysia, and St. Augustine grass, require less water than cool-season grasses, but even they need extra water in the dead heat.
Best Time of Day To Water Your Lawn
The best time to water your lawn is before 10 a.m. At this cool time of day, it’s less likely the moisture will evaporate before your grassroots can absorb it from the soil.
If you can’t water before 10 a.m., don’t make the mistake of watering late at night. It may be cool then, but if the moisture sits on your grass overnight, it can make your lawn more prone to disease. The second-best time to water is between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
How To Tell if Your Grass Isn’t Getting Enough Water
There are several tell-tale signs that you need to water your lawn. If your once-vibrant green lawn has taken on a gray shade, you need to water. Curled grass blades are another indicator—it means your grass is thirsty.
If you’re unsure, consider tackling one of two tests. For the step test, simply walk on your lawn. If your lawn is well-watered, your grass should spring right back up where you’ve stepped. If it doesn’t, it’s lacking moisture, so it needs water.
The screwdriver test is another classic. See if you can drive a long-bladed screwdriver 6 inches into the soil. If you can’t push the tool down that far or you meet a lot of resistance, it’s time to water.
How To Tell if Your Grass Is Getting Too Much Water
Overwatering your lawn can cause stunted root growth, rot, and fungal disease. There are several common signs that you’ve given your grass too much water. These include:
- Yellow, brown, or pale grass
- Mushy soil
- Mushrooms
- Visible runoff
- More weeds than usual
- Spots, bare patches, or thinning grass
- Pest infestations
- Thatch buildup
Watering Your Lawn Automatically
There are many different ways to efficiently and automatically water your lawn. But first, ask yourself the following questions: How much water will I need? How large an area do I need to cover? What shape is my lawn? Is there anything nearby that can’t get wet?
Here are a few popular types of sprinklers to consider:
- In-ground sprinklers: These systems can be expensive, but are highly efficient. The sprinkler heads pop up automatically to water, and pop right back down when the watering is done, delivering a precise amount of water.
- Pulsating sprinklers: This type shoots out water horizontally in a powerful stream, covering a large area easily. Grassroots get the level of moisture they need quickly. However, the pulsing might be too intense for newly seeded or sodded lawns.
- Oscillating sprinklers: These are a good alternative for newly seeded lawns, since the force of the water is weaker, and you still get good coverage.
- Hose-end sprinklers: These traditional sprinklers are the most common and come in many different types.
Make sure your automatic sprinkler is doing its job when it needs to do its job. If the forecast calls for a lot of rain, adjust the settings accordingly. Also, make sure it isn’t pointed at the street—you don’t want to soak any passersby.
For more on how to choose—and use—a lawn sprinkler, check out this video:
Professional Lawn Care
Your investment in your lawn shouldn’t stop at proper watering techniques. You’ll also want to make sure your lawn is properly fertilized, aerated, and overseeded as needed, and that it gets regular weed and pest control. The easiest, most efficient way to do that is by hiring a professional lawn care company.
We recommend TruGreen, a lawn care provider that offers five annual plans, a wide range of a la carte services, and highly trained technicians. TruGreen is available in every state except Alaska.
FAQs About How Long to Water Your Lawn
How long should you water each zone?
How long you should water each zone depends on the grass type and shade level. If you’ve found that your lawn needs 30 minutes of water each time you water it, try dividing it by half and watering each zone for 15 minutes.
How long does it take a sprinkler to water 1 inch?
How long it takes a sprinkler to water 1 inch depends on your lawn. Typically, it takes about 30 minutes.
What is the best time of day to water your lawn?
The best time of day to water your lawn is before 10 a.m. or between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Avoid watering your lawn at night, when the moisture will linger until morning.
