Every property owner knows that for their lawn to thrive, especially during the long, hot months of summer, it needs to be watered. And if you are trying to sell a home with a lawn it is essential that it looks as good as it possibly can. A lush green lawn can delight buyers, but a dead, brown one will almost always put them off, often before they have even entered the home to check out the interior.
When trying to ‘stage’ the outdoor space around their home, and keep that grass as green as possible, many people are surprised to discover is that there is a right and a wrong way to go about something as simple as watering it, and that doing it the wrong way can prove disastrous.
Lawn Irrigation Basics
Consistency in your lawn irrigation schedule is a must. If a lawn is allowed to brown and almost become dormant before it is shocked back to life by a sudden burst of water, it becomes unduly stressed – yes, grass can get stressed – and that stress can damage it in the long run.
In creating a lawn irrigation plan for an individual lawn that will be beneficial to it, many people turn to an in-ground sprinkler system rather than relying on their memory or availability to hand water with a hose. It’s a good idea in theory, especially for a large lawn, but the unfortunate fact is that many systems are set up incorrectly and they fail provide water for the whole lawn properly and certain areas of the lawn are practically missed out altogether, resulting in those ugly brown and dead patches that spoil the look of any lawn. It is also it is the rare garden that does not have a few out of the way spots that will still need hand watering.
With all of this in mind it’s a must that your sprinkler system is set up properly, preferably by a professional. There are plenty of DIY offerings out there that can save you money, but they won’t be much use if the way they water the lawn is doing more harm than good.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
However you water your lawn, via sprinkler system or by hand, it is just as important that you do not overdo it.
If you see runoff into the street or onto your driveway when your sprinkler system is in action, or you have given it a good hosing, then that is a good indication that the water is being applied at a rate that is faster than the lawn can absorb, something that is not good for your lawn or for the environment (wasting water is more and more of a problem these days) You may need to adjust the schedule that your sprinklers run on and consider calling in the pros to check it out too or cut down on the number of times you get the hose out.
Timing can make a big difference as well. Many people set their lawn sprinklers to run in the evening, but that is often not the best timing. If you water a lawn in the early morning hours, you often get better results. If there is some dew on the grass already, the water is absorbed more easily and less water is lost to evaporation in the heat and humidity that is often still around in the evenings in the summer.
Property owners – especially home sellers who need to keep things in tip-top shape- should also remember that the rest of the plants and trees in their gardens need water too. While it is true that shrubs and trees don’t need as much water as the lawn, they still need some and should be watered periodically as a part of your overall landscape staging plan.