Do I Need a Lawn Sprinkler In The Fall?

Creating the perfect backyard with beautiful green grass is an ongoing dream for many homeowners; a dream that causes homeowners to spring into action with consistent lawn care, including mowing, fertilizing, weeding, and setting lawn sprinkler timers to water the grass. As we head into cooler fall months, we often get asked if watering grass is necessary as the temperatures drop.

It can be difficult to figure out how much water a lawn needs from season to season. Just like plants need water year-round to survive and grow, so does your lawn. Here are six lawn sprinkler tips for watering the grass during fall.

1. Continue to water in the morning.
   Watering grass in the early hours of the morning is best and allows it to dry out the rest of the day. If the grass is watered later in the day, there is a risk that it won’t be able to properly dry and the possibility of lawn diseases increases. We recommend between 2 am- 6 am so that the excess moisture will be evaporated when the sun first rises.
2. Don’t water as often.
   Since the temperatures are cooler, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often. You can check how saturated the grass is before watering by driving a screwdriver into the ground to how wet the soil is five to six inches down. If it is dry at this depth, you know it needs water.
3. Skip watering when it rains.
   Skip grass watering during the weeks that it rains. The rain during fall months offers enough moisture for the grass to continue growing.
4. Water before a freeze.
   Watch the weather ahead of time to see if there are any chances for an early freeze. It is best to water the grass the day before a freeze because the wet soil acts as insulation to the grassroots. Roots are more likely to freeze if the ground is too dry.
5. Stop watering when the ground freezes.
   You will know it is time to stop watering the grass when the ground freezes and the water can no longer seep into the ground. When the winter months finally come, all you need to do is sit back and wait for spring again.

Perennial Lawn Care offers year-round programs to help maintain the health of your lawn during all the seasons. We even have a specialized sprinkler company, Sprinkler Surgeon. We do sprinkler turn-ons, repairs, blowouts, and install new sprinkler systems. For any further questions on sprinkler tips, feel free to contact us at 973-949-4300.

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Perennial Lawn Care