Your yard is brown, dry, and brittle because it hasn’t tasted a drop of rain in almost two weeks. On yet another hot, sunny day you decide enough is enough and break out the hose and sprinkler; however, at the end of the day you discover that not only has your watering not rejuvenated your yard, it looks drier and uglier than ever. What happened?

If you want a healthy, beautiful yard, you need to know when to water it, how long, and how to avoid overwatering.

When To Water

Whatever you do, avoid the temptation to water your fragile yard in the heat of the day. Yes, you know it’s getting baked by the merciless summer sun, but timing is everything. Wait until the cool of the evening, when it is fully dark, or early in the morning to ensure the water isn’t sucked up by the heat. Ideally, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is the best timeframe to water a lawn. I know that timeframe seems impractical. An acceptable time to water is anytime after the sun goes down and the heat cools off. This might be 8pm in the Summer or even 6pm in the Fall.