You might be guilty of it. At least one of your neighbors probably is. Despite their best intentions, thousands of homeowners in the San Antonio, TX, area improperly water their lawns.
Want to free yourself of existing or potential lawn-watering guilt? Adopt these five tips for watering your San Antonio lawn.
1. Know When to Water.
Early morning is the best time to water your lawn, as that’s when you’re least likely to lose water to evaporation, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “The worst time to water is late evening because the lawn stays wet all night, making it more susceptible to disease,” the service says.
2. Know How Much to Water.
According to the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), three-fourths of an inch of water per week should do it for St. Augustine or zoysia grasses in the full sun during the summer; if the grass is in the shade, the amount can be reduced to half an inch per week. In the sun or shade, bermuda and buffalo grasses need half an inch of water per week.
3. See How the Water Measures Up.
How do you know whether you’re flooding or dehydrating your lawn? The A&M extension service recommends putting small containers or cans on your lawn in each watering zone to help you figure that out; tuna cans will do the trick. Run your sprinkler system for 15 minutes in each zone. With ruler in hand, measure the depth of the water in each container and adjust your irrigation accordingly.
4. Use the Right Tools.
SAWS says it’s more efficient to water dry spots on your lawn with a handheld hose instead of your entire irrigation system. Each time it runs, a home irrigation system consumes between 1,500 and 3,000 gallons of water.
5. Check Your Equipment.
To be sure your irrigation system is running right, keep sprinkler heads adjusted to spray appropriate areas, SAWS says, and hire a contractor to perform a system checkup at least once a year.
Need lawn care service in San Antonio? Head over to www.lawnstarter.com/san-antonio-lawn-care.
Photo: Flickr/SKXE
