One of the most common questions we are asked here at Coolabah Turf this time of year is: should I be watering my lawn in winter?
We not only pride ourselves on supplying the best instant turf, but also offer help and sound advice when it comes to aftercare, maintenance and any watering queries you might have.
Essentially, rain should be enough to sustain your lawn through the winter months. In most states in southern Australia (aka: our neck of the woods) you shouldn’t need to water your lawn at all if we’ve had adequate rain fall. This winter we’ve been lucky to receive adequate rainfall in most areas, which has meant zero watering required.
And even in super dry, wintry conditions we would recommend you only need to water your lawn once a month.
Most lawns become dormant during winter and soils tend to hold moisture during the cooler months, meaning watering in winter is just not necessary. Less frequent watering is also a great way to train your lawn to become drought-tolerant and is particularly useful if you happen to live in an area where there are water restrictions – in winter or summer.
But what if your lawn does need watering during winter?
And, how will you know?
You can always ask our team of experts at Coolabah anytime of course, however if you walk on your lawn and there’s a noticeable footprint, which takes some time to bounce back, then your lawn is probably lacking in water and will need a good soaking.
If you do have to water your lawn during winter, we always recommend less frequent (monthly), longer watering (up to 40 mins) to help train your lawn to become drought tolerant. Training your lawn essentially means forcing the roots to chase moisture further into the ground, which is the best place for them to be when the heat of summer hits.
This should mean you can essentially water less in the summer months too, when most well-trained lawns can still thrive if watered only once a week. Saving you time and money – we call that winning!
Are you a responsible lawn lover?
Being a responsible lawn lover also means being in-tune with nature and if rain has been in abundance in your area this winter, don’t just water your lawn for the sake of it, and ensure any automated watering systems have been switched to sleep or hibernation mode.
Overwatering your patch is not only wasteful but can have a negative impact on your lawn by increasing the risk of fungal growth, which you don’t want. Save your precious time, money and lawn by backing off from watering altogether during winter – unless you really need to.
And remember the best times to water are early morning and later in the day to avoid water loss into the environment, although evaporation isn’t usually an issue in the winter months, but it’s a good habit to create before the warmer weather arrives.
It’s never too early to start preparing your lawn for the next season, and if you’re yet to make your backyard dreams a reality, and would love to have a lush green lawn in before summer, winter is still an ideal time to make this happen and we’re the ones for the job.
Touch base with our expect team on 0399 990 587 to find out more.
Image thanks to www.ntmwd.com
