During the hot, dry summer months and as temperatures increase, we must consider the environment and water supply and use water wisely and sparingly.
Watering your lawn during the high heat months means avoiding using too much water, avoiding watering in the windiest time of day, and carefully adjusting your watering time for maximum effect so that water penetrates and soaks through to the roots without evaporating.
This lawn watering guide will provide you with some tips on lawn watering in Utah that will help you maintain a green and healthy lawn while providing enough water.
Before you start saving water, install a rain gauge in your backyard so you can accurately monitor how much rain falls and how much water you are using.
Don’t water when it’s windy or raining.
While this may seem obvious, watering when it’s windy or raining will only result in wasted water.
The best time of day to water your lawn (for a lush green lawn) is early in the morning or late at night when it’s cooler outside.
However, if the wind is strong every night, choose a time when the wind is weaker, even if that does mean watering during the day to save water.
Prioritize the plants you water
During drought conditions, it is vital to conserve water, so you will need to prioritize your watering to water the most valuable plants in your landscape first:
- Trees
- Shrubs
- Perennials
- Annuals
- then grass.
Your lush green lawn is quite resilient. If required, it enters a dry grass dormancy during droughts and high temperatures, only to recover when conditions improve.
Mow your grass blades higher
One way to reduce the amount of water your lawn needs is to raise the height of your mower blades. Instead of mowing your lawn down to the bare minimum, leave the grass 3-4 inches longer.
The extra grass blade length helps the lawn retain moisture, resulting in a greener lawn that requires less watering.
In addition, longer grass helps to protect the roots from heat damage and provides a natural barrier against weeds.
If you have a sprinkler system make sure it is maintained
If you have an irrigation system, it’s essential to check it regularly and make sure it operates properly.
An irrigation system that is not working efficiently can waste a lot of water.
Also, ensure all sprinkler heads are operating correctly and facing the right direction. Avoid watering paths and driveways.
Install a water-saving smart sprinkler system
You may even qualify for a money-saving rebate by installing a water-saving irrigation controller.
Irrigation controllers with built-in smart irrigation technology take the headache of determining how frequently and for how long to water.
These devices connect to WiFi and use weather data to modify the watering schedule, considering the rain, temperature, humidity, UV index, and even evapotranspiration.
So, how much should I water my lawn in Utah?
A good rule of thumb during periods of water conservation, watering time in Salt Lake during the June and July Summer period is;
Three times per week watering time dispersing 1/2 inch of deep watering
Follow government guidelines
Firstly, you should check-in and follow the weekly lawn watering guide published on the Utah Government website. The guide will share up-to-date information on how many times per week you should water according to conditions for your county.
