Last Updated on January 29, 2025 by Brian Beck
One of the worst tings that can happen to a soil is for it to dehydrate. Several things happen. The microbial life in the soil dies off as it requires moisture to survive. In doing so, it leaves a waxy substance in the soil that increasingly creates a condition in the soil called hydrophobia. This can be overcome but you are left with a very expensive proposition of playing catch up in the spring and with it a very expensive repair action, all of which can be avoided and it all started in September. September is the most important month out of the entire year as it is the last month were a hard freeze is not possible and sets the stage for the long winter and subsequent next spring. In other words you are stuck with what you got as photosynthesis, germination and microbial life all stop or go dormant in October. Your lawn should be a bright green in early October and should stay that way until mid-December when the soil truly goes dormant. Irrigation whether it comes from the irrigation system or by manual means should never stop, only slow down in frequency. A general formula for keeping a lawn hydrated is to use this formula: if we do not get 6-12 inches of snow (snow is mostly air, not water) within a 10 day window you will need to water on the first available day when it is above 40°, when the ground will accept the water being put down. Turf lawns need about 1/4″ of water per week to stay healthy and don’t forget the trees, shrubs and perennials, they need water too! The majority of repair and replacement of plant life in the spring is directly related dehydration and it can be prevented. This formula should produce watering about twice per month. When you water do so to the point of saturation (runoff) and you lawn and plant life will thank you for it!
For more information about watering, read here:
https://www.springslawns.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-water/