Best Time Of Day To Water Lawn In Hot Weather

In many regions of the world today, especially in the tropics, the hot weather or dry seasons can be a very bad time for lawns because the heat usually dries them up and makes them wither especially when they are not given adequate care and attention or watered properly and at the right time.

Proper watering is guaranteed to maintain a healthy lawn when the hot summer months arrive. It is also very important to keep in mind that during prolonged summer heat and dry weather plants, trees, flowers, lawn sod and seed all require extra watering to keep them alive and safe because weeds usually take advantage of this period since they are opportunistic plants and will take advantage of dry, thin turf to quickly spread.

Another problem with watering during the hot summer arrives when people want to keep their lawns alive but do not want to waste water because they want to conserve it as eco-friendly individuals. But the good news is that this is very possible as one can both keep their lawn healthy and green without having to waste any water as long as other factors are met and the watering time and process of that season are followed to the later.

Best Time To Water Lawn In Hot Weather

As said earlier, watering the lawn is very important during hot weather, however, when the lawn is watered at the wrong time of the day, it usually leads to both water wastage as well as dehydration of grass and one not gaining anything at the end of the day. As a tip, the best time to water the lawn is when the day is cool and the winds are very light. The grass type and characteristics of the yard and soil also play a major role in the watering process.

Watering The Lawn In The Daytime

Watering in the very early hours of the morning or at the break of dawn usually between 5 am to 9 am is the best time of the day to water the lawn. This is because the air temperatures are low and dew is still available. Also, the winds are still calm and will not evaporate the water quickly, making it have sufficient time to go deep into the roots. Also, the stomata which are tiny openings on the leaves will not be able to allow transpiration to take away the water by that time since the winds are still minimal. Most lawns benefit from watering two to three times per week and this can be achieved if the lawn is either watered when the days are cooler or when the full sun is not out yet.

Watering as early as possible is important in order to allow the plants to dry up earlier to prevent fungal growth on wet plants which could lead to diseased conditions.

Disadvantage Of Watering Lawn By Midday

Lawns should never be watered in the middle of the day or even when it is close to midday because by that time, the sun will be fully out and also when there is a high amount of sunlight and water is found on the plant or in the soil surrounding it, the evaporation rate is usually very high. Watering by this time of the day is usually futile and a waste of time, energy, and water resources since the majority of the water will not get into the soil or penetrate deep into the soil due to evaporation. Aside from rapid evaporation, strong winds at midday may cause uneven water dispersal. Strong winds might spread the water onto sidewalks, driveways, or streets.

Danger Of Watering Lawn Late At Night

Although it is true that watering the lawn at night or the late hours of the evening guarantees that there is no more heavy sunlight, and the roots will be able to absorb a lot of water since the water can penetrate deep into the soil as evaporation rates have been reduced, there is still the problem of the grass remaining damp throughout the night exposing it to the risk and possibility of being attacked by diseases caused by fungi usually since the temperature keeps dropping at this time of the day and the water may even remain stagnant.

Problems Of Watering Lawn Appropriately In Hot Weather

Depending on the kind of grass though, some grasses cannot survive a day without being watered while others can manage to survive long periods of dry weather conditions with very minimal amounts of water, although this is not healthy for them. Examples of such grasses are cool-season grasses such as Kentucky seagrass which can adapt to long periods of dry weather and will only grow dormant for up to six weeks, and this is just a natural survival mechanism for the grass. The leaves will turn color brown, but the lawn remains alive. But if it goes beyond six weeks, you face the risk of your lawn dying. But whatever the case, it is always still advisable to water a lawn in hot weather.

When a given area is to experience strong winds and high or extreme temperatures ranging as high as the high 90s and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for a long time,  watering the lawn regularly at least three times a week ensuring that the time of watering is the correct one to get optimal results. The water must penetrate and soak the soil as deep as  6 to 8 inches minimally. When lawns are watered almost every day in the hot weather, it makes the root system of the lawn weak and shallow making it dry out fast.

Therefore, less frequent but deep watering is preferable because it encourages the grass roots to develop and run strong systems underneath the soil. This enables your lawn to be more robust and disease resistant.

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