Could you be over watering your lawn? Here’s how to tell.
It’s summertime. It’s hot. So, naturally your first inclination might be to water your lawn as much as possible to ensure it doesn't go thirsty. But, in actuality you probably need to hold that thought.
The summer is one of the easiest times to accidentally over water your lawn, especially if you aren't using a smart controller for your irrigation system to automatically adjust watering schedules based on the weather forecast. Many of the signs of overwatering aren't immediately noticeable, which is why it is always important to keep an eye out for issues caused by too much water.
Here are three simple signs that you’re overwatering:
1. Fungus:
Sometimes fungus can look as subtle as a discoloration in your lawn and sometimes it can be much more obvious with the growth of mushrooms or mold. If you see any signs of fungus, you are likely over watering your lawn. Often, this can happen in particularly humid conditions. If you see fungus, be sure to pull back on your watering schedule as well as treat the fungus which can be hazardous to pets and children.
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2. Yellow grass (Root rot):
If you notice brown or yellow grass patches in your yard, they could be a sign of root rot. Root rot is caused by too much moisture in the soil, and can quickly ruin your lush, green grass.
3. Runoff:
A pretty obvious sign of overwatering is when water runs into the street, over driveways, or down the storm sewer. If you notice that your driveway or sidewalk is wet, you might need to consider your watering schedule as well as your sprinkler system’s design. Runoff water from irrigation systems is negligent and wasteful and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Overwatering is a problem that our Conserva Irrigation technicians see constantly.
Here is what you can you do to avoid overwatering entirely:
Put simply, you don’t know what you don’t know. And as we said, some signs of overwatering can be less obvious than others. So, it never hurts to have an expert check your irrigation system to make sure things like leaks, improper design, or overspray aren’t contributing to an overuse of water. At Conserva Irrigation, we offer a complimentary sprinkler system inspection where we come out to perform a full comprehensive analysis of your irrigation system and make recommendations from what we find!
Take the worry of overwatering off your own shoulders, and let a smart controller automatically manage your irrigation system. A smart controller will, among other things, take the rain forecast into account and make sure you are never watering your lawn in the rain. For example, if your irrigation system is set to water tomorrow morning, but there is a high likelihood of receiving rainfall in the next 48 hours, your smart controller would skip tomorrow’s watering cycle – saving you money and reducing the chances of overwatering your lawn.
Drip or micro irrigation will deliver the water straight to the roots of your plant life. Drip irrigation is becoming an increasingly popular way to eliminate water waste while also giving your landscape exactly what it needs to thrive. Particularly hot areas are especially great markets for switching out traditional spray heads for drip irrigation systems.
Need more advice on how to fix your overwatering problem? Contact your local Conserva Irrigation today.