The Grass is Greener When You Water it Just Right- The two most basic things that your lawn needs to stay healthy and green are sunlight and water. While you can not control the sun, you can control the amount of water you lawn receives. Many people do not understand that delicate balancing act when it comes to maintaining a beautiful lawn. Water is a big factor in achieving the lawn of your dreams, but it can also cause a big disaster if you do not do it right. And trust me there is a right way and a wrong way to do it! But with a little time and understanding you can see the warning signs to prevent a disaster from taking place!
Too Much Water? No Way!
Overwatering your lawn suffocates your grass and also stunts root growth.
Your soil is made up of soil particles surrounded by pockets of air and water. These pockets of air and water provide the roots of your lawn with the oxygen and H2O needed for healthy growth. However, when your lawn is overwatered the air pockets become filled with water and your grass suffocates.
Additionally, overwatering will inhibit root growth. As a result, the root system of your grass will not develop. This will leave a shallow root system that is susceptible to drought and disease.
Learn the Signs
- Runoff: Streams of water running off your lawn and down the sidewalk or street. This is an indication that your lawn is already well saturated, possibly already overwatered. Additionally, the runoff water could be washing away nutrients that your lawn craves.
- Spongey Lawn: Try the step test. Just step on the lawn in a few different areas. If the turf feels spongey or just plain squishy, you should probably dial it back a bit.
- A Plethora of Weeds: While an overwatered lawn is not ideal for growing healthy grass, it may be the optimum conditions for weeds like smooth crabgrass or yellow nutsedge to thrive. If you see a lot of weeds moving in and starting to take over, it could mean you’re going a little heavy on the watering.
- Growing Fungi: If you notice discoloration on your lawn – particularly colorful growth on the grass blades themselves – you likely have overwatered to the point of providing optimal conditions for fungus growth. Mushrooms popping up across your lawn is also a clear indicator, and keep in mind that mushrooms can be hazardous to pets and children.
- Thatch, Thatch, Everywhere!: Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed plant material. A little bit of thatch can be a good thing as organisms in soil break down the thatch and provide natural nutrients for the soil. Overwatering inhibits these organisms from breaking down thatch, resulting in thatch build up. Too much thatch can prevent oxygen from getting into the soil plus…
- Bugs Move-In: A nice thick layer of thatch is a great place for bugs to hide. It protects them from the sun, predators, and even pesticides. If you’ve noticed that the bugs are really stepping up their game, it could be that overwatering has made things easy for them.
Too Much Info, RH Millers’ Got You!
We all know that life can throw too much at you that this all can be overwhelming even if you have a green thumb. Thats were our Lawn professionals can come in and give your lawn the care it needs. Having an experience Lawn care Specialist on your side takes away the stress of obtaining a prize winning lawn. Also, between fertilizing, weed control, and fending off lawn-destroying insects, lawn care can be a full time job. We here at RH Miller Pest Services take pride in making sure that you can have peace of mind. Bugs, Wildlife or Lawn; we do it all. Find out why we have a 5 STAR rating on Google today! Give us a call @ 407-339-7119 to set up a free estimate and leave the rest to us!
