• Water is an obvious need for healthy grass,
but too much water, or not enough water can cause your lawn harm. In our area, in the spring and fall, rainfall is adequate to supply your lawn with the water required to keep it healthy. It is usually between mid-June through late August that we need to be aware of the dryness and heat stresses which could be effecting our lawns.

• If we're familiar with our grass, we can tell when drought or heat stresses are taking effect.
You'll see a different colour tinge to the grass - it will be turning a purple-brown, or a smoky colour, at the start of the stress.

• If you walk on the area you believe may be under stress, you'll find it brittle,
not soft and tender as healthy grass should be - and it won't be as resilient as it should be, not bouncing back up after you've walked on it, but remaining flat . Hopefully you don't let the lack of water let your lawn get this way before you act. Nevertheless, it does happen!

• In order to help prevent drought conditions and heat stresses on your lawn,
"syringing" is now a practice many experts are recommending. "Syringing" is simply applying water in small quantities each day, or every other day, to take the stresses of drought and heat off the grass.

• In the past, we were always told to water infrequently,
but in long intervals. Now research has shown it is beneficial to water more frequently for shorter periods of time - even in the heat of the day. This tends to relieve the heat stresses on the grass, similar to us having a cool glass of water on a hot summer's day.

• Our recommendation is to water your lawn frequently,
at least every other day, when weather conditions are warm and dry. Watch for the colour changes in the grass as signs that you really need to water. Water a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes in each area of your lawn to allow the water to penetrate into the soil. If, after this short period, water is running off the lawn, then you probably have compacted soil, and aerating in the fall or the next spring is needed.

• With regards to when to water, we suggest the morning.
This is the coolest time of the day and hence a good time for the water to penetrate the soil into the root zone before being taken up by the grass blade alone, or being evaporated by the wind and sun. Try and stay away from evening watering if possible. This tends to be the time when insects are active, and hence watering may produce ideal conditions for insect infestations to occur. Also, evening water may mean the grass is soaked all night, leaving open the conditions for disease or fungi growth.
 

• Remember that syringing in the middle of the day may be beneficial to reduce the heat stress.