As the weather warms up and plants start to bloom, you might feel compelled to water your lawn. A well-watered lawn is a healthy lawn, right? Well, not necessarily. It is possible to overwater your lawn, and watering too early may encourage a poor root structure. Here is some information to help you plan when to start watering your lawn.
Don’t Water Your Lawn Right away
You may be tempted to water your lawn as soon as the weather warms. However, the melting snow leftover from winter will water your lawn for you in early spring. The temperatures remain below freezing in Michigan for the first month of spring, so the ground may remain moist until mid-spring. It’s best to wait until the later months to avoid overwatering your lawn.
Delayed Watering Can Encourage a Strong Root Structure
If you wait a little while to water your lawn, your roots are going to reach deep down into the soil for moisture. This creates a rich root structure that will yield a dense turf in the growing months. You don’t want to wait so long that the soil is completely deprived of water, but a slight delay could create a strong lawn later on.
Overwatering Early Can Harm Your Turf
If you water your lawn while the snow is still melting, you may drown out the newly sprouting grass. The excess water can also fill in air holes in the soil, which blocks oxygen from getting into the roots. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s best to ere on the side of caution.
What to Do before You Start Watering Your Lawn
Before you start watering your yard, we recommend getting a soil test to assess your nutrient needs. We can do this as part of our spring landscaping services, along with dethatching and aeration, as needed. Dethatching is the process of removing the top layer of dead grass and debris from your soil so that water and nutrients can reach the roots easier. Aeration pumps the ground with oxygen and helps carry water/nutrients from the surface to the roots.
You may also consider sprinkler maintenance at this time to make sure your sprinklers are ready for spring. The goal with all of these steps is to set your yard up for success when it’s finally time to water it.
Start Watering in Mid- to Late-Spring
Most years, it is best to start watering your lawn in mid- to late-spring. You can hold out until your lawn is starting to look a little dry because it should bounce back with one good watering. Weather patterns vary slightly each year, so you may start later some years than others. If you have a landscape maintenance plan with Berns Landscaping, we’ll create a watering schedule that’s ideal for your property.
Let the Pros Take Care of the Watering for You!
There are several variables that affect when you should water your lawn. The decisions don’t stop at the beginning either. How often should you water your lawn? What time of day is best? How much water should you use? What are signs you’ve overwatered or under-watered?
If this all sounds like a bit of a headache, it’s best to turn it over to the pros. The lawn and garden experts at Berns Landscaping can create a custom watering plan for your yard. Your needs will change throughout the year, and we’ll adjust our efforts accordingly. Contact us at (586) 756-1145 to get your year-long landscape maintenance plan.