4 Reasons to Avoid Overwatering Your Lawn

4 Reasons to Avoid Overwatering Your Lawn

For a healthy and lush lawn, you know that it needs plenty of water. However, you might be overwatering and causing harm. Yes, grass needs water to grow and develop strong roots, but too much moisture might lead to other problems. Here are four reasons to avoid overwatering your lawn.

Drowning Your Roots

Roots are a vital part of your grass. They will absorb water, oxygen, and nutrients to keep the grass healthy throughout the season. Overwatering will cause these essential roots to drown. Grass doesn’t require that much water for a healthy appearance.

Along with water, grass requires plenty of oxygen to develop and grow. When there is too much water in the ground, those roots are choked off from any oxygen. If you are watering every day, you need to reduce your watering schedule. Allow the roots to get the proper amount of oxygen. When the grass and its root system cannot get enough oxygen, the turf will suffocate and brown.

For a lush lawn, you want your grass to develop a deep root system. Yes, overwatering can lead to shallow roots. With that lack of oxygen, the roots will be more prone to insects and diseases. You might notice that your lawn is starting to turn yellow, or there could be areas that are completely wilted. Some of the blades of grass may even brown and die. Frequent watering can also cause the grass to be more prone to fungal growth and thicker thatch. With an abundance of thatch, you will provide an excellent habitat for pests.

You need to be more mindful of the needs of your grass. By hiring a professional company specializing in commercial lawn care services, you can take the guesswork out of watering the turf. These professionals understand the unique needs of different grass species to help keep your lawn looking great throughout the year.

Causing Stress

When you overwater your lawn, you are not helping the turf. The blades can become vulnerable and weak. As mentioned before, without the right amounts of oxygen, the grass will start to stress out. With a stressed lawn, it is more susceptible to insect infestations and diseases. Even those tiny stressed-out areas can lead to more significant issues for your yard. Any insect infestation or disease in one area of your grass can quickly spread to the entire turf. In turn, you will have a bigger problem on your hands.

During the summer, you want the lawn to stay green. If you overwater, there is another type of stress that could affect your grass. Heat stress is often confused with fungus, but you can find it in places that have been overwatered. Any patches of grass that look gray have been affected by heat stress. You can also identify this type of stress by walking on the grass. If your footprints remain there or leave behind white marks, then your grass is suffering from heat stress.

Promotes Weed Growth

Your grass does need water to grow, but overwatering could help those pesky weeds to flourish in your yard. Grass in well-watered soil will prevent the growth of weeds. However, when the grass is overwatered, it promotes rapid weed growth, especially in certain grasses. For example, crabgrass can take over an overwatered lawn. In some cases, these weeds will form clumps and grow up to 6 inches. They will also spread throughout your soil’s surface.

Nutsedge is another weed that loves wet soils. Once this weed infests your lawn, you will have to deal with its tubular roots that can be difficult to remove. Some perennial weeds can thrive in those yards with poor drainage and overwatered grass.

Under normal circumstances, weed growth can be easily managed. With an overwatered lawn, you will notice those weeds popping up at a higher frequency. For those lawns that have been overwatered for several years, there could be more weeds than actual grass. You will want to save yourself the headaches and avoid the struggles of weed growth by limiting your watering schedule.

Wasting Money and Time

In some parts of the country, water is a precious resource. You don’t want to waste it on your grass, especially if it doesn’t need it. Don’t spend money on unnecessary water bills. It doesn’t make sense to waste time and money on this expense.

If you are concerned about the amount of water for your grass, you should consult with a landscaping professional. These experienced specialists can help you find ways to ensure your grass gets the proper amount of water. For those issues with browning and pests, the problems may be something other than a lack of water. Your lawn might be suffering from compaction or lack of nitrogen. It is better to talk to a professional than to waste your resources on an unrelated issue.

Signs of an Overwatered Lawn

Now that you know about the problems with overwatering, here are a few ways that you can tell if your lawn is drowning in too much water.

Thatch: When there is too much moisture in your grass, all that dead plant material cannot break down. As a result, you are left with a thick mat of stems and decomposed roots. After some time, that thatch can prevent nutrients from reaching the roots, and you are left with a shallow system.

Fungus: Along with weeds, fungus is another telltale sign of overwatering. All that excess moisture will make it easier for it to grow. If you are noticing mushroom patches sprouting up in your lawn, it is a definite sign that there is too much moisture in your grass.

Get Professional Help With Your Grass

It can be a delicate balance to keep your grass healthy and green. If you are ready for the professionals to take over, then reach out to Charlestown Landscaping LLC. Our company offers commercial lawn care, and we will keep your landscape looking great throughout the year. You can call (610) 608-3965 to schedule a consultation.

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