Watering the lawn is important for keeping it green and healthy, but did you know that when the lawn is watered matters too? Some people think it can just be done whenever it’s convenient for them; others choose what they think is the optimal time and stick with it. There is, in fact, an optimal time to water the lawn, but it may surprise some homeowners!

What Are The Best Watering Times?

Proper watering is a very important part of keeping your lawn as healthy as possible. Too little water and your grass will grow shallow roots; too much and you’re inviting fungi, bacteria, and insects. Setting the sprinkler in the late morning and afternoon is a waste of water because a high percentage of that water will evaporate before it can be used by the grass. You’ll have to run it much longer, but this will still result in shallow roots, with an increased chance of pest infestations.

You need to pick the time that has all the right conditions, and your best options are the early morning and late evening. At these times of day, the sun is low, the air temperature is cool, the winds are at their lightest, and dew is on the ground. However, we still need to decide: Which is the better choice?

Morning Versus Evening: Which Is A Better Watering Time?

According to some people’s definition of “common lawn care wisdom”, watering in the day is useless because of evaporation, therefore, watering in the evening is best. But the early morning is actually the best time because it has the benefits of sunlight, not just the drawbacks. If you can water before 10 a.m., when there are cooler temperatures and calmer breezes to prevent evaporation, as well as a rising sun that will evaporate the excess water, you’ll be doing the best for your lawn’s health!

In the early morning, the grass will also still be dewy. That’s a positive thing because watering the grass when it is wet helps prevent the spread of disease and fungus by reducing the length of time your grass is wet. The grass will have time to absorb and use the water before the sun gets too high. Even though evaporation can render your watering useless, you still want the sun to evaporate excess water before it can create a good environment for grass-killing pests.

If you water overnight, there will be no high sun to do the positive evaporation, meaning your lawn will remain wet for twelve hours or more, until the following morning sun dries off the lawn. This creates the perfect conditions for many harmful types of fungi and insects who thrive in wet foliage, and you’ll hurt large patches of your grass this way. Contact a professional landscaper to learn more!

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