Well, while your soil type, the amount of sunshine, and the climate all come into play, a good rule of thumb is 1 to 1 1/2 inches a week.

What many don’t know is that the manner of watering the lawn is also important. What is important is that enough water must reach the roots of the grass at the right time.

Let us assume that you will use 1-1/2 inches of water per week. The next step would be to water the lawn just once or twice in that period. If you do a little each day your grass will have shallow roots and you can have all kinds of drought problems. Sandy soil needs to be watered twice a week because the roots may not have enough time to absorb the water before it has gone too deep.

Conversely, dry and hard clay soil will not easily absorb water so you need to water the lawn with more frequency, about 3 times a week. To have a better idea of the water that your sprinkler dispense, put out a flat container and measure the volume in a given time, and make your adjustment as may be necessary. You can also make sure that water reaches all parts of the lawn by simply placing more plastic tubs all over the area.

Ideally, you should water the lawn in the morning. Watering the lawn midday or early afternoon will be less efficient because of the evaporation factor. If you water at night you could be inviting diseases to your lawn because of the length of time it stays wet. A couple of tips to ensure your lawn looks great when it gets really hot out is to not mow as short and to leave the grass clippings on the yard.

A lawn that is cut just about right will have enough green left to keep itself cool. Also grass clippings left on the lawn will actually give the grass’s roots more moisture and minerals which will help it to be less stressed. Contrary to popular belief grass clippings will not cause thatch buildup.

The point that is being stressed is that the how is as important as the when in watering the lawn. The bottom line is that correct knowledge of caring for plants will make your lawn healthy year round.