How often should you water your lawn in Florida?

According to the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF-IFAS), “Over-watering of lawns causes more damage than any other cultural practice.” When you water your Florida lawn too frequently, your grass will develop a shallow root system that makes it difficult for your lawn to tolerate stress conditions, such as drought and high traffic. UF lawn experts recommend watering less frequently for longer periods to train your grass’s root system to go deeper to find water, strengthening and lengthening its root system. Determining how often you should water your lawn in Florida depends on your lawn and location but generally speaking, your lawn will tell you when it is thirsty – consider these signs that your lawn needs water include:

• Leaf blades folded over
• Grass that appears blue-gray
• When stepping on your lawn leaves visible footprints that don’t spring back into place

Most lawns require ½” of water per irrigation session. Saturating your lawn is not recommended as doing so can deplete your lawn’s nutrients and run-off can contaminate water sources.

How often to water also depends on the weather, the type of grass you have, the amount of shade in your yard, and the time of year. In West Florida, water your lawn year-round to keep it green and healthy. In North and West Florida, water your lawn regularly during growing seasons (i.e., spring, summer, and fall). Dormant lawns in the winter need less water.

Watering in the early morning is a good practice, as it’s cooler and the winds are calmer, allowing your grass to absorb the water before it evaporates with the heating of the day.

If your West Florida lawn still is not growing as it should and you are concerned about proper maintenance, consider calling Pestwise to review our lawn care programs. Contact us today!