Avoiding Drought Stress: How Often to Water Your Lawn

March 10th, 2020

How Often to Water Your Lawn

We are in the dry season, and Florida hasn’t seen much rain of late. Lawns throughout the area are looking brown and dry. It is important to make sure that your lawn is getting enough irrigation year round, not just during the rainy season. 

You should have an established watering schedule for your lawn. This is based on several factors, including:

• Grass type
• Soil type
• Shade
• Mowing and fertilization frequency

It is also important to keep in mind that the Tampa water district has restrictions on when you can water your lawn. You must stick to these guidelines or face fines and penalties. These guidelines are in place to ensure that there is clean water for everyone when they need it.

In Tampa, you can only water your lawn up to two days per week. The days that you are allowed to water your lawn are based on the last number of the address. For example, if your address is 3211 Randall Road, your watering days would be Mondays and Thursdays. If it were 3186 Anywhere Avenue, your watering days would be Tuesdays and Fridays, and so on.

You are also restricted regarding when you can water your lawn. You can only run irrigation or sprinklers between the hours of midnight and 8 A.M., and 6 P.M. to midnight. There is no irrigation between the hours of 8 A.M. and 6 P.M. Any violations will be cited, so make sure you have set your sprinkler system accordingly.

For most lawns, watering one to two days per week is sufficient year round. During these drier weeks, it is a good idea to water both of the days that you are allowed. When rain hits, you can knock it down to one day a week.

If you see the following signs of drought risk, you should add an extra day to your watering schedule if you can do so within restrictions:

• Grass has a blue-gray color.
• Tracks through the grass stay longer.
• Leaf blades will fold in half to conserve water.

If you have any of these signs, or if you need other assistance maintaining your lawn, contact us today.