Lush green lawns are simply gorgeous-but it can take plenty of work to achieve that stunning emerald look. Watering your lawn correctly is absolutely vital to keeping your lawn healthy and green in any climate. Proper watering of your lawn can even help preserve water, as you’ll be using it more efficiently, with less waste.

When and How to Water



You don’t necessarily need to start watering your lawn as soon as the first few warm summer days appear. You’ll actually achieve a healthier lawn, with a more extensive and deep root system, if you hold off watering until your lawn begins to enter a mild state of drought. When your lawn begins to enter this state, the grass will turn a darker shade of green, and footprints made when you walk across the lawn will remain imprinted, instead of the blades quickly bouncing back up.



If you’re able to, watering your lawn early in the day is best. Midday watering is inefficient and may be detrimental to your lawn, as moisture will evaporate quickly at this time. Watering in the evening can help cultivate lawn diseases, as the grass will remain damp for longer periods. However, if you live in a very hot climate, watering during the evening is preferable, as less moisture will be lost due to evaporation, and temperatures will not be cold enough to prevent grass blades drying completely overnight.



One of thee most important points in watering your lawn is ensuring that you maintain an even distribution of water over the entire lawn, and that no spot is either missed or flooded with excess water.



The best way to achieve this objective is with a sprinkler system, rather than with a hose. To ensure your system is providing even coverage over your lawn, place some empty cans or other straight-sided containers at various spots over the lawn, and then check how much water each contains after a watering session.

How Much Water?



Thorough, less frequent watering is much more efficient-and healthy for your lawn-than frequent, light watering. A good, heavy watering that penetrates deep into the soil helps to promote a healthy root system, and also discourages the growth of weeds.



In normal conditions, grasses need between three quarters of an inch and one full inch of water per week to maintain that rich green color, and to keep the lawn healthy and actively growing, as well as attractive. In very hot climates, more frequent watering may be needed. Check your lawn for blade ‘bounce’ to ensure your lawn receives enough water.



Remember that this requirement includes both precipitation (rain) and watering. If you receive an inch of rainfall in any given week, you can hold off watering until it’s needed. In addition, it’s important to realize that this one inch isn’t an absolute requirement-your lawn won’t sicken and die if it doesn’t get an inch every week, but too much water in a short time can be harmful. If, for example, you know rain is expected very soon, you can safely hold off watering until after the rain arrives.

How Long?



Each watering of your lawn should provide plenty of water for the active root zone of the grass. The length of time this takes depends on the type of watering system you use, and the type of soil you have. In general, most types of grass need to be soaked to a depth of eight to twelve inches. Some grasses, such as bluegrass, need to be soaked to a depth of six to eight inches.



To calculate how long you’ll need to run your sprinkler system to achieve the right depth, do the following:



1. Run your sprinkler system for fifteen minutes.



2. After 24 hours, drive a screwdriver or other implement into the earth to check how deep the water penetrated. You’ll be able to drive the implement easily through moist soil, but once you hit dry soil it will become difficult.



3. Divide 120 by the depth of moist soil you determined in step 2. If the water soaked in to a depth of three inches, for example, you’ll end up with a figure of 40 minutes. That means it will take two hours for the lawn to be soaked to a depth of nine inches, and two hours and forty minutes to get soaked to a depth of twelve inches.



Water Conservation Tips

• If you live in a climate that routinely achieves very high temperatures during the summer, consider letting your lawn go dormant as an alternative to watering.
• Purchase a rain gauge so that you can determine how much rain your lawn receives, and avoid over-watering.
• Aerate your lawn to allow the grass to use water more efficiently.

Did you know that different types of grasses are more suitable for different climates? There are types of grasses that are suitable for different climates due to the different needs and varieties. You can find a type of grass for any climate that you need, including a hot, dry climate or a moist climate and everything in between. If you happen to live in a more southernly climate, then you will find that these three types of grasses will work the best for you.


1. Zoysia

If you need a grass that is very tolerant of the cold, then you will want to choose Zoysia. This type of grass has a very dark and dense turf. A pH level between six and seven in the most ideal spot for this type of grass.


If you are growing Zoysia from seed, then you may find that it can be slow to take root. If you do not have the patience to wait, then you may want to choose sod over planted grass from seed.


Zoysia is more suited for an area with full sun, but you can find a few sub-varieties that will also grow good in the more shady areas. Emerald Zoysia has a high shade tolerance for those shady areas. This type of grass has some drought tolerance, but it is important that you watch the water level carefully and ensure that if the drought lasts longer than a week that you water your grass. Zoysia can make it well through shorter dry spells, but not ones that last a long time. You should fertilize your Zoysia grass in both the fall and the spring.


This type of grass is the most attractive looking of the warm climate grasses, but it does take a little more time and effort than the other types. If you are not able to give the grass the time and energy that it will need, then you will want to consider one of the other types of grasses for your yard.


2. Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is one type of grass that can give you great rewards and great pain. It can quickly get out of control and take over your flowerbeds, causing them to sprout grass due to the large amount of seeds that are released. This extra work and frustration can be worth it, however, if you do not have enough time in the day to take care of your yard. It will last for many years, even if you do not take very good care of it. It is also a great substitute for perennial ryegrass during the winter. You commonly see this kind of grass on the side of the roads in the South, mainly because it is hardy and durable enough for people to walk on it and drive on it without harming the grass.


For Bermudagrass to thrive, it needs warm weather. This grass grows very fast and is inexpensive compared to other kinds of grass. You need to make sure that it is only used on a lawn that gets full sun, because it does not flourish in shade areas.


3. Centipede


Centipede grass does not take much maintenance, either. It does not need to be mowed frequently or fertilized on a regular schedule which is great news if you do not like to work in your yard or don’t have time to work in your yard. Unlike Bermudagrass, however, it does not like heavy traffic and does not grow very fast.


Centipede grass is an ideal choice if you live in the deep South and have acidic soil. It will flourish in areas where other types of grass have not. It will grow in the shade, but it most likely will grow better if it grows in areas where there is full sun or almost full sun.


A low-nitrogen fertilizer should be used on your Centipede grass in the springtime. It is important, however, to make sure that your fertilizer is phosphorous free. The right mix for this type of grass is 15-0-15. Check the pH level of your soil as well, because it should be between 4.5 and 5 for the Centipede grass to have optimum growing conditions.


If you happen to live in the South, then you will be able to find some other types of grasses that will work as well. Some varieties of tall fescue will do well, especially the types that are drought-resistant.


Your local home and garden center will have a mix that will work for your area. Grass companies do a great deal of research and testing to create the right grass mix for different areas of the country. If you don’t have the time or money to do that yourself, then take advantage of their knowledge and choose a mix that is already prepared and ready for your lawn.

If you have ever wondered what type of lawn mower is best for you, read on. Learn which type of mower will be perfect for mowing around your garden or for mowing around your large land area. First, you need to evaluate what you will be using your lawn mower for. You should always go with a known brand, like a Toro or John Deere, as these have been awarded many times as being manufacturer of the year.

Which mower should you choose that will best suit your needs? One of the best brands of mower out today, is John Deere. These green power tools come in a wide selection and each is for many different purposes. If you plan to cultivate your own land for growing food, they have a special model just for that.

Also, the type of grass you are planning to cut should also be a factor when choosing the type of lawn mower you are going to buy. A John Deere Utility lawn tractor is perfect for those who have a yard larger than most. This mower will be able to provide you with the power and reliability that only lawn tractors can give.

A new model of lawn mower’s are the robotic lawn mowers which come equipped with a sonar detection system that will automatically slow down when it senses an object close by. These new sonar detection systems will also stop the lawn mower’s blades before they cut into the object. If you have small children or pets who like to leave objects around the yard, this is the best idea for you. Also, some of the robotic lawn mowers have touch sensors on them. These touch sensors are able to change the direction of the mower’s blades when they feel on object, other than grass of course, and will keep the object from being run over. These new detection systems make it very unlikely for any lawn mower related injuries to happen.

A big reason why the sonar detection systems were created was to make sure no pets get hurt because of a lawn mower. Since the detection systems were put on to some of the models, no incidents of injuries have been reported. Dogs have a natural inclination to bark and chase a moving object that makes noise. There is a better chance of your dog attacking these robotic lawn mowers than it is for a robotic lawn mower to hurt your family dog.

Another reason why so many people have opted to go with the robotic lawn mowers is because they move at a relatively slow pace, when compared to normal mowers, and it give people and/or pets the time to move out of the way. Even though it might take you a little longer to mow your lawn, it will help keep the seventy-two thousand lawn mower accidents a year from rising.