Focus : Watering Your Florida Lawn
Watering your plants and turf grass is essential to their livelihood. Daily temperatures sometimes over 90°F (32.2°C) 6 months per year, causes large water losses from soils and plants. Watering aids in photosynthesis, helps maintain plant temperature, helps seeds germinate, and increases your yards hardiness. Knowing when and how much water to apply to your yard can save you money, and help save the delicate Florida's aquifers for generations to come.
Determining When To Water
The most efficient way to water a lawn is to apply water when it begins to show signs of stress from lack of water. The following signs are indications of water need:
- bluish-gray areas in the lawn
- footprints or tire tracks that remain in the grass long after being made
- many leaf blades folded in half and soil sample from the root zone feels dry
Long dry periods of high temperatures, strong winds, and low relative humidity cause these symptoms.
Amount of Water to Apply
The amount of water to apply at any one time varies with the amount of water present in the soil, the water-holding capacity of the soil, and drainage characteristics. An efficient watering wets only the turf grass root zone, does not saturate the soil, and does not allow water to run off.
Florida soils are typically sandy and hold 1 inch of water in the top 12 inches of soil. If the roots are in the top 12 inches of soil and the soil is dry, then 3/4 to 1 inch of water is required to wet the area thoroughly. This is equivalent to 465 to 620 gallons of water for each 1000 square feet of lawn. Generally, turf grasses require no more than 0.3 inches of water per day. Under extreme summer conditions, water use can be as high as 0.4 inches of water per day. During the winter when grasses are not actively growing, water use can be as little as 0.05 inches of water per day.
A simple watering schedule would be to apply 3/4 inch of water when the turf grasses show water deficiency symptoms as discussed earlier. Once this 3/4 inch of water is applied, do not apply any more until water stress symptoms are again noticeable. Typically, two to three waterings per week in the summer and once every 10 to 14 days in the winter are required. If rainfall occurs, irrigation should be suspended according to the rainfall amount.