SHORT ANSWER: Mature lawns generally do not need to be watered during the autumn months. Newly-laid turf must be watered regularly.
Grass is a very resilient plant. A hot, dry summer may leave your lawn looking rather the worse for wear - patches of yellow or brown grass are a common sight by the end of August - but it should recover quickly once the autumn rains arrive.
Because rainfall tends to increase during the autumn months, it is generally not necessary to water your lawn with a hose or sprinkler at this time of year. In fact, an established lawn may never need to be watered, even at the height of summer - hosepipes use a lot of water (roughly 1,000 litres per hour!) and as mentioned above, most grasses are tough enough to survive periods of drought and still regain their lush green appearance afterwards.
(That being said, there are some steps you should take in autumn to help your lawn recover from the summer drought and prepare it for the stresses of winter. See our 10 essential autumn lawn care tips for more information.)
So I shouldn't ever water my lawn?
Not so fast - there are exceptions to the don't-bother-watering rule. We recommend watering your lawn if:
- It's a new lawn that has only recently been laid
- You've carried out work on your lawn - scarification, for example
- You want to keep your lawn green even during dry periods (e.g. sports pitches)
If you do opt to water your lawn for whatever reason, here are a few tips to bear in mind...
Water early in the day.
You don't your grass to be wet overnight, as this makes it easier for lawn diseases to take hold. We recommend watering your lawn in the morning so that it has plenty of time to dry before the sun sets.
Spike hard ground before watering.
If your part of the UK hasn't seen much rain recently, the soil in your garden may have turned hard and dry. There's not much point watering your lawn if the water can't penetrate into the soil and reach the grass roots - before you get the hose out, spike your soil with a garden fork to improve water penetration.
Don't water too frequently.
Occasional heavy watering is preferable to frequent light watering. Water your lawn too often makes it less drought resistant and encourages the grass roots to stay close to the surface, weakening your lawn overall.
Lawn & Weed Expert is a Cardiff-based company with years of lawn care experience. If the grass in your garden has seen better days, call our lawn maintenance specialists on 0800 111 4958 - we'll carry out a FREE lawn survey and put together a treatment programme that's tailored to your lawn's requirements.
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