How to Water Grass in Colorado
- Proper watering is critical to your lawn’s health and vigor. Deep and infrequent watering is the best practice. This means wetting the soil to a depth of 3-5 inches per irrigation.
- The best time to water grass is during the morning rather than in the afternoon or evening. Do not separate the watering into morning and evening either.
- Let the grass determine the watering frequency. See how long your lawn can go without water and set a program based on that, rather than a predetermined schedule. This will help conserve water to use only as needed.
| Season | Month | Watering Guidelines | Notes/Weekly Watering Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late Fall through Winter | November, December, January, February | This is a very important time to water the lawn. Most damage occurs during the January to February time frame. | Water 1-2 times per month on days above 50 degrees. Water up to 1” each time that you water using a garden hose and sprinkler. |
| Spring | March, April, May | Water 1-2 times per week depending on natural precipitation. | 1” per week recommended |
| Summer | June, July, August, Early September | Water each section heavily at least twice a week. Cycle and Soak to avoid runoff and wasted water. | 1 ½” per week recommended |
| Early Fall | Mid-September, October | The shorter days and cooler nights help keep the soil cool and moist. You only need to water 1-2 times a week. | 1” per week recommended |
How Long to Water Grass
- Colorado soils are a mixture of clay, sand, or a combination of both. To reduce water runoff and to help water penetrate and soak deeply into the soil, we recommend a “Cycle and Soak” watering schedule. Instead of watering for a long period of time and allowing the water to run off into the street, divide the total watering time per zone by 3.
- For example, instead of watering a zone for a solid 45 minutes, try breaking it up into 3 different start times of 15 minutes. “Cycle and Soak” is the best approach to eliminating runoff and waste.
- Measure your water output to determine if you are over or under-watering based on the time of year, and the recommendations below. This is a very important step in a good watering program.
- Actual runtimes vary from yard to yard. A good baseline would be 20 – 30 minutes per zone for popups, 40 – 50 minutes for Rotor heads, and longer for low-impact MP Rotors.
- During the hotter months of the year, the grass will require more water to prevent heat and drought stress. That may mean ¾” of irrigation at a time rather than the ½” of irrigation typically required in the cooler months. This means wetting the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches per irrigation.
Other Watering Tips for Your Colorado Lawn and Landscape Plants
- Water at times of low wind.
- Water too late in the afternoon can result in waste and evaporation. Watering grass in the evening can leave the lawn damp overnight, which can encourage lawn diseases.
- Water less in shaded or poorly drained areas.
- Do not water every day or two. Frequent, short watering encourages shallow roots, unhealthy grass and plants, and leaves turf susceptible to drought, weeds, and disease.
- Water newer trees using soaker hoses or direct hose drips once every couple of weeks.