Watering | Lawn Care Tips | Info | Rideau's Lawn Sprinkler

WATERING YOUR TEXAS LAWN

When to water
The time of day is very important. We recommend setting your timer to water anytime between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. This eliminates the evaporation of water to the sun. Also, wind is at a daytime low early in the morning, therefore all water lands on "target."

Another factor that makes this the best time to water is that it eliminates leaving your turf wet overnight. When you water in the late afternoon or early evening, you produce an environment that promotes fungus, smuts, and mildews.

In the summer, 6:00 a.m. is the optimal time to start watering, but you will need to adjust your sprinkler schedule to not be on when you will need your water for cooking, showering, etc. to ensure maximum water pressure to your sprinkler system.

Length of Time to Water: - We recommend the following schedule. *

Established Lawns		h	Newly Sodded Lawns
Flower Beds & Shrubs	03 minutes	h	Flower Beds & Shrubs	05 - 10 minutes
Small Grass Areas	8 - 10 minutes	h	Small Grass Areas	20 - 30 minutes
Large Grass Areas	10 - 15 minutes	h	Large Grass Areas	30-40 minutes
During the hotter months of July and August you may need to increase watering times for grass by 25-50% During winter months you may need to cut the above times in half h		h	The idea here is to get about 1" of precipitation once per week in order to saturate your lawn. The grass will "dig down" for the water. This will help to establish a deep root system.

Frequency: - We recommend the following schedule. *

Established Lawns		h	Newly Sodded Lawns
Flower Beds & Shrubs	daily	h	Flower Beds & Shrubs	daily
Small Grass Areas	every other day	h	Small Grass Areas	once per week
Large Grass Areas	every other day	h	Large Grass Areas	once per week
during the hotter months of July and August you may need to water your flower beds and shrubs twice per day for two-minute intervals in the cooler months you may want to water your flower beds and shrubs every third day h		h	if your sod is placed on rich topsoil then about one inch of precipitation should be absorbed in this half hour. if your sod is placed on hard "gumbo" clay then your lawn will only absorb 1/2 inch in this half hour; therefore you will need to water two days in a row for an hour each week until your soil becomes moist. again, the idea here is to train the root system to go deep (after the water).

* Note: These times are recommended for water sprinkler systems, particularly those designed and installed by Rideau's Lawn Sprinkler. Our time limits for established lawns may seem short, but remember, this method of watering is much more efficient than using a water hose setup.

If you are using a water hose setup then you will need to increase (at least double) the recommended times for established lawns on the Small and Large Grass areas.