Tips to Avoid Overwatering Your Lawn

Watering your lawn to keep it healthy and green may seem like a simple task. Unfortunately, if you overwater, it can have detrimental effects. In fact, overwatering can be just as damaging to your lawn as underwatering. 

Many property owners overwater their landscape and lawn without realizing it. If you want to avoid overwatering situations and the issues that accompany them, you must take the right steps. This includes learning about the soil type, creating a watering schedule, monitoring your sprinkler system, and watching for signs of overwatering. Keep reading to learn more. 

Know What Type of Soil You Have

In some situations, the amount of water your landscape needs depends on the area's soil. Because of this, it's a good idea to get to know what type of soil is present. For example, for yards with sandy soil, water drains away quickly. In this case, watering more won't help trees or plants grow. Clay soils can become heavy when they are saturated and prevent plants from getting the moisture needed. 

Create a Watering Schedule

A good way to avoid overwatering your landscape is to create a watering schedule. If you have automatic sprinklers, it may mean you just need to adjust the settings. If you water manually, try to water at the same time each day and on the same days of the week. To achieve the best results, be sure to water your lawn and other plants earlier in the morning. Doing this helps to prevent evaporation and minimizes water wastage. Make sure you adjust water frequency to ensure your plants don't get too much water. 

Monitor Your Sprinkler System

If you have automatic sprinklers installed, you may take a "set it and forget it approach." This is an advantage of these systems. However, doing this may waste water and result in soil erosion and dead plants. You can avoid overwatering your landscape by regularly monitoring and checking your irrigation system. Doing this will help ensure it is operating properly. One method for checking the system is to turn it on and then inspect the sprinkler heads for incorrect spraying, bubbles, or leaks. You should also watch for puddles or dry areas in your yard and an excess of running water, indicating broken sprinkler heads. 

Watch for Signs of Overwatering

It's important to watch for signs that you may be overwatering your lawn. If your lawn is watered too much, you may have soil that stays wet, leaves that are yellow, the base of plant stems that feel mushy, and other issues. If you notice these problems, then you need to adjust your watering schedule and amount. 

Keeping Your Lawn Healthy

There's no question that you need to water your lawn to keep it healthy. While this is true, you also need to know if you are watering it too much. Keep the information here in mind and take steps to avoid overwatering. This is going to ensure your lawn stays happy and healthy all season long.