A Simple Watering Guide for North Shore Lawns
How much and how often to water a North Shore lawn through the summer, and the watering habits that quietly damage your grass.
Watering seems simple, but it is where a lot of good lawns quietly go wrong. Too little and the grass thins and browns. Too much, or too often, and you get shallow roots, disease, and wasted water. Here is the approach we recommend for North Shore lawns.
Deep and infrequent wins
Aim for about one inch of water per week, including rain, delivered in one or two deep soakings rather than a little every day. Deep watering trains the roots to grow down, which is what carries the lawn through a hot, dry stretch. Frequent shallow watering does the opposite and keeps roots near the surface where they dry out fast.
Water early in the morning
The best time to water is early, before about nine in the morning. The grass dries through the day, which limits disease, and you lose far less to evaporation than you would at midday. Evening watering leaves the lawn wet overnight, which invites fungus.
Measure once, then you know
- Put a tuna can or similar straight sided container on the lawn while the sprinkler runs and time how long it takes to reach one inch.
- Skip watering after a good rain, since an inch a week counts rain too.
- During a heat wave, water deeply but not more often, and raise your mowing height.
- If water runs off before soaking in, which is common on our clay soil, split the cycle into two shorter runs an hour apart.
The exception: new seed
Everything above applies to an established lawn. Newly seeded areas need the opposite treatment, light watering every day, sometimes twice on hot days, until the seedlings are up and mowed a few times. Switch to deep and infrequent only after that.
Related readingIf water runs off instead of soaking in, you likely need aerationDial in your watering and half the common summer lawn problems simply go away. If your lawn is browning or struggling despite regular watering, something else may be going on, and we are glad to take a look. Call or text 224-634-0673 or 224-200-8363.
Frequently asked questions
- How much should I water my lawn in Illinois?
- About one inch of water per week including rainfall, applied in one or two deep soakings. During extended heat you can go to about one and a half inches, but keep the number of watering days the same rather than watering more often.
- What is the best time of day to water grass?
- Early morning, before about nine. The lawn dries through the day, which limits fungal disease, and evaporation losses are far lower than at midday. Evening watering leaves blades wet overnight and encourages lawn disease.
- How long should I run my sprinkler?
- Long enough to deliver half an inch per session if you water twice a week. Place a straight sided can on the lawn and time how long your system takes to fill it, then use that number. Every sprinkler differs, so measuring once beats guessing.
- Why does water run off my lawn instead of soaking in?
- Compacted clay soil, which is common across Lake County, cannot absorb water quickly. Split your watering into two shorter cycles an hour apart so the first soaks in before the second runs, and core aerate the lawn in early fall to fix the underlying compaction.
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Ruiz Landscaping serves Vernon Hills, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire, Long Grove and the rest of Vernon Hills's surrounding North Shore and Lake County communities.