Moderation, moderation, moderation.  Everything in life should be taken or completed in moderation.  Easier said than done, right?  Sometimes it seems downright impossible and cruel, but it’s for our own good.  It took me quite a while to subscribe to this logic, and I still battle it on a frequent basis.  Feeling sick?  If one Vitamin C works well, wouldn’t two be better?  Not exactly.  You see where I’m going?  The same must be applied to our lawns and gardens, specifically when discussing watering.  This is a touchy issue with many gardeners and is ascending the list of things never to discuss in casual passing – like politics, religion, or sports.  Overwatering, my friends is a common problem – more so than under watering, and its consequences are dire.

Plants, including lawns, that are growing in soil that is too wet suffer from oxygen deprivation, leading to dead roots and poor health.  Symptoms include stunted growth, yellowing and/or scorched leaves, blisters, and rot.  Waterlogged plants are also more susceptible to fungal infections, and overwatered lawns have more, difficult to control weeds and thatch issues.

In addition to harming your lawns and gardens, overwatering is expensive, time-consuming, and can contribute to pollution.

So, how do you know if you are overwatering your lawn?  Consider the following signs:

• The lawn squishes beneath your feet even though you watered hours before.
• There’s so much water that is starts to run off towards the street or other parts of the yard.
• The lawn appears wilted, does not spring back when stepped on, and/or grass blades curl.
• Fungal infections like blight or mold are easily visible.
• You’re watering your lawn!

Ok, the last one is a bit tongue in cheek, but truth be told, there really has been no need to water the lawn this year.  Given the wet Spring & Summer, and milder temperatures, your lawn really does not require any supplemental watering.  Even if we were in a drought situation, you absolutely do not have to water the lawn.  Lawns will go dormant in times of drought – a sort of hibernation, if you will.  When this happens, you have an important decision to make.  Either leave the lawn alone completely or water on a regular, infrequent and deep basis.  In other words, do not allow the lawn to go into a dangerous cycle of dormancy to green to dormancy.  Either let it lie or commit to watering.  The former is far easier.

Since we are not experiencing a drought, and the grass is green and growing, do your lawn and finances a favor and stop watering.  It’s the kindest thing you can do.

“Grass is the forgiveness of nature – her constant benediction.

Forests decay, harvests perish, flowers vanish, but grass is immortal.”

-Brian Ingalls

Best wishes,

Kim Sweeney