Watering

Watering admin February 21, 2023

How to Properly Water a Lawn:
Learn the 1-2-3-2-1 Lawn Watering Technique

The Best Way to Water Grass and Trees

Proper watering for the lawn is the most important aspect of organic lawn and tree care, yet it is the biggest frustration that homeowners face. Most lawn watering problems that we see in lawns in the Boulder and Fort Collins areas are either over watering, watering too many days per week, or poor sprinkler coverage.

3 Steps to Proper Lawn Watering

When is the Best Time of Day to Water a Lawn?

The ideal time to water a lawn is early in the morning before the sun comes up. It is best to have the sprinkler system programmed so the last zone finishes no later than 6:00 AM. If this is not feasible then the next best time to water the lawn is late evening. If the lawn is being watered deeply and infrequently then evening watering will not cause lawn fungus problems.

Program Each Zone Time

Each zone will probably be a drastically different time. Every Sprinkler System is Different: Every sprinkler system is at the mercy of how well it was designed and installed. The sprinkler zone time chart is a good place to start for how to water a lawn properly when programming your sprinkler clock. If you want the most accuracy, the best way to evaluate the system is to measure the output of the sprinkler system using rain gauges.

Deep Soak with Multiple Cycles: Many systems are set up to water shorter times but will turn on 3 or more times over the evening. This method of watering in short bursts is excellent because it allows the water to soak into the soil deeper. If the sprinkler system is set up with short bursts via multiple start times, take the total water times listed below and divide them by the number of cycles. I.e. The system is set up to perform 3 soak cycles per night. Take a south facing rotary style zone run time of 55 minutes / 3 = 18 minutes per soak cycle.

Rotary Style Sprinkler Heads

Rotary style heads are designed to water large areas of grass. They move back and forth very slowly and required longer watering times.

Full Sun or South Facing Aspects: 50-60 minutes total run time – approx 3/4 inch of water

Partial Sun or East / West Aspects: 40-50 minutes total run time – approx 1/2 inch of water

Full Shade or North Facing Aspects: 30-40 minutes total run time – approx 1/3 inch of water

Popup Style Sprinkler Heads

Popup style heads are designed to water smaller areas of grass. They are stationary and put down a lot of water in a short period of time. They require shorter watering times.

Full Sun or South Facing Aspects: 18-20 minutes total run time – approx 3/4 inch of water

Partial Sun or East / West Aspects: 12-15 minutes total run time – approx 1/2 inch of water

Full Shade or North Facing Aspects: 6-10 minutes total run time – approx 1/3 inch of water

MP Rotator Style Sprinkler Heads

MP Rotator style heads are designed to water grass slowly. They have a pinwheel type action which allows the water to soak into the soil deeply. They require longer run times in order to water the lawn properly.

Full Sun or South Facing Aspects: 45-55 minutes total run time – approx 3/4 inch of water

Partial Sun or East / West Aspects: 35-45 minutes total run time – approx 1/2 inch of water

Full Shade or North Facing Aspects: 25-35 minutes total run time – approx 1/3 inch of water

Impact Sprinkler Head

Impact Style Sprinkler Heads

Impact style heads are designed to water large areas of grass. They move back and forth very slowly and required longer watering times to water the lawn deeply.

Full Sun or South Facing Aspects: 45-60 minutes total run time – approx 3/4 inch of water

Partial Sun or East / West Aspects: 35-50 minutes total run time – approx 1/2 inch of water

Full Shade or North Facing Aspects: 20-35 minutes total run time – approx 1/3 inch of water

Micromist Sprinkler

Micromist Style Sprinkler Heads

Micromist style heads are designed to water plants in rock and mulch bed areas. They spray a mist over plants and require medium run times to water deeply.

Full Sun or South Facing Aspects: 35-45 minutes total run time

Partial Sun or East / West Aspects: 25-35 minutes total run time

Full Shade or North Facing Aspects: 15-25 minutes total run time

Drip system

Drip Irrigation System

The drip systems are designed to be run for 1 hour. The amount of water that comes out of the drip lines is not controlled via the clock but it should be controlled via the emitters.

Each emitter is rated by gallons per hour (GPH). Small plants require a 1/4 to 1/2 GPH emitter, shrubs require a 1 to 7 GPH emitter, and trees require a 10 to 35 GPH emitter installed. Therefore, the gallons per hour should not be controlled via the clock but via the emitters and the GPH rating.

***That being said, many sprinkler installers do not understand this concept so if you have a better time based on the emitters that were installed at your property, we recommend that you use that time instead.***

Full Sun or South Facing Aspects: 60 minutes total run time

Partial Sun or East / West Aspects: 60 minutes total run time

Full Shade or North Facing Aspects: 60 minutes total run time

How Many Days Per Week To Water a Lawn

 

The 1-2-3-2-1 Lawn Watering Technique

Program your clock according to the sprinkler zone times above and as the season’s temperatures change you will add days as it gets hotter and take days away as it gets cooler. This technique is invented by Organo-Lawn and it is called the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique.

Do Not Change the Watering Times!

As the temperatures change during the seasons, it is better to add watering days to the clock rather than adding more run time to the clock. As the temperatures cool off in the fall, it is better to reduce the watering days rather than taking time off the clock. Never change the times of the sprinkler system zones, unless there is a drastic change in the amount of sun exposure a zone is receiving. It is very bad practice to add time or take time away during the summer. We want to water the lawn deeply and we want the soil to dry out between lawn watering. Deep and infrequent lawn water will penetrate the soil 10-15 inches deep and the grass roots will dig after that water as the soil at the surface dries out.

1 Day Per Week Watering – Cool Spring

Sprinkler Startup through Middle of May

When daytime high temperatures average below 70°F: Water the lawn one day per week if it is cool and it is raining occasionally. One day per week lawn watering is typically between April to early May but every year is slightly different. (I.e. Water Mondays)

2 Day Per Week Watering – Warming Up

Middle of May – Early June

When Colorado’s daytime high temperatures average between 70°F and 85°F water the lawn two days a week This is typically between the middle of May through early June. (I.e. water Monday and Fridays)

3 Day Per Week Watering – Hot

Middle of June – Middle of August

When Colorado’s daytime high temperatures average above 85°F: Water the lawn no more than 3 days per week. This is typically is between mid or late June through mid or late August. (I.e. Water Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)

2 Day Per Week Watering – Cooling Down

Middle of August – Late September

When Colorado’s daytime high temperatures average between 70°F and 85°F water the lawn two days a week This is typically between the middle of August through the middle of September. (I.e. water Monday and Fridays)

1 Day Per Week Watering – Cool Fall

Late September – Sprinkler Blowout

When Colorado’s daytime high temperatures average below 70°F: Water the lawn one day per week if it is cool and it is raining occasionally. One day per week watering is typically between the middle of September until the system is winterized for the season. (I.e. Water Mondays)

If possible try not to water the day of nor the day after the lawn being mowed. I.E. if you mow the lawn on Fridays, then don’t water the lawn on Friday morning nor Saturday morning.

Download a Printable Version of How To Properly Water a Lawn

Monthly Lawn Watering Schedule for Colorado Lawns

1 Day Per Week

April 15th – May 25th

2 Days Per Week

May 26th – June 25th

3 Days Per Week

June 26th – August 20th

2 Days Per Week

August 21st – September 24

1 Day Per Week

September 25th – October 15th

Sprinkler System Off

November – March

For help with setting up your sprinkler system to water according to the 1-2-3-2-1 Lawn Watering Technique Organo-Lawn offers professional sprinkler system audits.

Note: Each year is different but the calendar above is a good general time of year for how to water a lawn and when things need to be adjusted or services need to be performed on the sprinkler system. This sprinkler system calendar is designed for lawns in Colorado, especially for lawns in the Front Range cities like Boulder and Fort Collins.

*Sprinkler system startups depend on the temperatures outside and the amount of natural precipitation.

**Sprinkler system blowouts generally occur from October 10th-Late October; however, every year has different temperatures so watch the weather closely.

FAQ – How to Properly Water a Lawn

Is it bad to water a lawn at night?

Ideally it is best to time the sprinkler system to water in the early morning, but as long as you are following the watering schedule of deeply and infrequently watering at night will not cause fungus problems in a lawn.

How to water a lawn with a hose and sprinkler head?

Even though the lawn is being watered with a hose and sprinkler, the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique will still be the ideal way to water a lawn. Instead of watering the lawn based on sprinkler zone times, it is important to measure the output of the sprinkler head output. This can be achieved by measuring the water output by using a rain gauge or by using a measuring flat bottomed flat sided container like a Tupperware dish. The lawn should be watered about 1/2 inch of water in full shade, 2/3 inch of water in partial sun, and 3/4 inch of water in full sun.