Are you browsing through all those beautiful photographs of perfectly manicured lawns online and thinking will my lawn ever look that nice?
Well, the good news is that having a beautiful lawn is possible! You just have to figure out how to water grass seeds in the right way to deliver ideal hydration for them to grow.
In this article, we will cover everything you will need to know about watering grass seed, from how often you should water the seeds, the important factors about grass seed watering, and more.
So if you would like to learn everything about watering the grass and seeds to reach the best ground cover for your lawn, just keep reading!
When Should You Water Your Grass Seed?
As soon as you’ve sown the grass seed, it is advisable to start watering your lawn daily, with a small amount of water.
You can begin with two to three times a day, watering it for about ten minutes. Most importantly, remember that the top 2 inches of soil should always be moist.
After your seeds germinate and sprout, water one time a day, and perhaps for a longer time than you were initially watering.
When the grass reaches one inch tall, it requires less watering than your seed planted lawn, since we are now trying to encourage the grass to establish a deeper root system, which does not require that much water.
Furthermore, you should think about the type lawn you have, meaning whether you are overseeding an existing lawn, or planting grass for a new lawn.
Type of Lawn
If you’re overseeding over an existing lawn, watering the grass seed as needed is two times per day for 15 to 20 minutes.
It is important to water heavily to wash seeds down the cuts in the soil.
If you’re watering a new lawn where you just laid your grass seed, be careful not to overwater them.
This is ideally done for about 2-6 minutes. This is done 2-3 times a day as a way to show your lawn some love.
It is also worth mentioning that the amount of water is critical when watering your new grass.
If there is too much water, it can damage the grass seed, and if there is too little, it can also be damaging. Make sure to follow this. Otherwise, your grass will not grow, it will die out on you.
Overwatering your lawn can drown seeds and wash the seeds away, but if there is not enough water, of course, the sprout will die. So how often then?
One way to think through this is to keep the ground moist all the time and take a regular schedule when watering your lawn and in doing so, the seeds will be hydrated.
It is advisable to keep track of what you are watering while developing a short term routine.
Factors Affecting Watering Grass Seeds
When it comes to watering grass seed, it will be pretty much the same for each newly seeded grass, no matter what type of grass you have, so you do not have to give too much thought to this step.
However, do keep in mind that there may be a few factors that would come into play which would affect how to water your grass, like the time of day and the weather.
Now, let’s look at those factors!
Watering Schedule
It is ideal to water your grass early in the morning and again in the afternoon a few hours before the sun sets, this strategy will minimize the chances of wind blowing water away.
However, summer temperatures and temperatures that reach excessively high peaks during your growing season warrant a bit of a different approach; avoid irrigation at noon to minimize evaporation.
In addition, watering grass seed (or grass plants) in the afternoon allows sufficient time to go by before evening (the sunset) to allow the moist soil to dry enough at night to avoid the potential for fungal infections and mold to develop in soil that remains moist through the course of a night time.
Notice: If you see moss or similar plants/growths in the gaps between your grass stand, this indicates the soil is too moist. When this happens, you can decrease your watering frequency and, or volume of water applied.
Weather Conditions
Another factor that is critical to the success of your lawn is the weather.
Weather dictates your need to water your grass seed or not.
For example, if it is rainy, then, no question, you do not need to water your seeds as much as you do on sunny days when the soil is being dried out.
Moreover, if it’s windy, the water that you do use for watering the soil may not be there at all as it could have evaporated.
Extra Water Tips
You should remember some tricks when watering your grass seed, useful tips that will help you water your new grass effectively:
How to Water Grass Seed?
When hand watering, try to mimic the natural rainfall, with the water falling down and not at an angle to avoid rinsing the seed away.
Type of Sprinkler
The type of sprinkler will depend on your lawn size, shape, soil type, the amount of water used, the season, and your budget.
So, if you have a large lawn area, you may want to invest in a rotating sprinkler that will run on a schedule and allow for the lawn to be taken care of properly.
If you have a medium-sized lawn, you could use an oscillating sprinkler where your grasses will flourish.
Your choice: Don’t hesitate to spend the extra money on a sprinkler since it will: be better for watering, produce an even amount of f water distributed evenly, ect. Don’t let this stop you; it will tabk some time, but overhand watering your seed is not an option.
Cover The Seed with Mulch
Add a light dusting of mulch on top of your newly planted grass seed.
It will help keep the moisture until you can water again.
However, here’s the caveat: if you are overseeding an existing lawn, you do not have to cover your seeds with mulch since there is already old grass that is retaining moisture.
Last Words
With that said we hope you now have more of an understanding of how to properly water grass seed to help keep your newly grown grass nice and thick.
When your grass does start to grow inches tall, it may look a lighter green color due to it being new grass, depending on the type of grass seed you have purchased for your lawn.
Lastly, remember, it is not a good idea to water the soil until it is completely saturated – if you feel this is a good option. Parts of lawns can only hold so much moisture.
Increasing the water depth and adding too much water will inhibit your grass, and it may cease to grow.
So, be sure you are aware of all the weather conditions, time of the day, and type of lawn, and you will have proper water seeds without hassle.