In order to get a thick, green lawn, the grass plants need enough water. If it is not raining, the lawn sprinkler must be started in good time. But how long does it have to run so that the lawn is sufficiently watered?
How long should a lawn sprinkler run?
To water a lawn adequately, the lawn sprinkler should run long enough for the water to penetrate at least 15 centimeters deep into the ground. This can be determined and individually adjusted with a test, e.g. a sprinkler running time of 15 minutes, and then measuring the depth with a spade.
Do not water the lawn too much or too little
Watering the lawn correctly requires a bit of sensitivity. If the grass plants receive too little water, the grass turns brown and dries up. Too much moisture is also damaging. The lawn begins to rot and moss formation and the growth of fungi are encouraged.
When you turn on the lawn sprinkler, you should know how long it has to run so that the lawn is watered sufficiently but not too heavily.
After a few hours, the water should have moistened the soil to a depth of at least 15 centimeters.
Little trick for measuring the required running time of the sprinkler
As a test, turn on the lawn sprinkler (€19.00 at Amazon) for a quarter of an hour. After a few hours, measure how deep the water has penetrated.
You can find out by poking a piece out of the lawn with a spade and measuring it.
If, for example, the water has seeped in eight centimeters deep, you have to let the lawn sprinkler run for about half an hour and then turn it off.
Saving water by setting the lawn sprinkler correctly
- Watering only when necessary
- Water lawn at night, morning or evening
- Set running time and water quantities
You can tell whether the lawn needs to be blown by the slightly bluish discoloration of the grass. In addition, footsteps on a dry lawn are visible longer.
Do not water the lawn during the day. Sun and wind cause too much water to evaporate and increase water consumption. There is particularly no wind, especially in the early morning hours.
Do not turn on the sprinkler every day, but only when necessary. Make sure that the irrigation water penetrates deep enough into the soil. Then, depending on the condition of the soil, you only need to water every fourth day or once a week.
Tips & Tricks
Set your lawn sprinkler so that it actually only waters the lawn and not the sidewalks or even the street. This reduces the running time of the sprinkler and at the same time reduces water consumption.
