Essential Texas Lawn Watering Tips for Every Season
Everything’s bigger in Texas, from houses to trucks… to lawns. Managing a big Texas lawn can be a daunting task, especially considering the unique climate of the state and the seasonal changes you experience in the north Dallas area. Watering is a critical part of routine lawn maintenance, but your lawn’s watering needs will vary based on the weather and seasonal shifts. But if you want your Lonestar lawn to thrive, you’ll need to know the best time to water lawns in Texas and how to water it best. Here, we’ve got all the tips you need to water well, whatever the season.
Understanding Texas Climate
Texas has a semiarid to arid climate in which water evaporation outpaces precipitation. Summers are long and hot, and winters are typically mild. From the southern tip of Texas to its northern border, there’s a 20-degree average temperature difference. Texas weather changes often, but it remains warm and dry for large portions of the year. That means that when your area of Texas isn’t in a rainy season, you’ll need to supplement your lawn watering in order to keep your grass green and lush.
While you can bank on generally warmer temperatures than much of the U.S., there are still seasonal shifts that happen across Texas. There are rainy periods, dry periods, and even chilly weather in some areas. It helps to understand exactly how the season impacts your lawn’s watering needs and how you can implement best practices to keep your grass healthy and thriving.
The Best Time to Water a Lawn in Texas By Season
If you’re in and around Dallas, there are many times you will need to water your lawn. But those times are impacted by the season and by other seasonal lawn maintenance you may be performing. Read on for our tips to maximize your watering schedule and support other lawn care services you may implement:
Spring Lawn Watering Tips
Spring is a critical season for most Texas turfgrasses, as this is when they’re preparing for the growing season. You might want to schedule some annual or bi-annual lawn care services during this time, like fertilization and core aeration. Here’s what to keep in mind when it comes to spring watering:
Check Your Sprinkler System
Spring is a great time to check on your irrigation or sprinkler system to make sure everything is in good working order after the winter. Look over your equipment to check for holes or leaks, and make sure there’s no rust or pest damage.
Keep an Eye on Rainfall
Carefully monitor the rainfall throughout the spring to ensure you don’t overwater your lawn. The rainy season runs from March through May, and it’s easier than you might think to give your lawn too much water, especially in areas that are slow to drain or have issues with soil compaction. This is also a good time to check into lawn aeration, which will help with drainage.
Make Sure Your Watering Schedule is Compatible with Other Treatments
It’s likely you’re fertilizing or putting down a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring. In those cases, you’ll want to check the product packaging or check with your lawn care service provider to make sure you’re watering on the right schedule. Watering too soon (or not soon enough) after treatment can render it less effective, so it’s always best to know in advance.
Summer Lawn Watering Tips
Texas summers can be blazing hot and bone dry. It’s tempting to water nonstop, but that isn’t always the best practice. Follow these summer watering tips to get through the warmest months:
Water Early in the Morning
Evaporation can be extremely damaging to your lawn, but you may not even realize it’s happening. Even if you water deeply, if you’re doing it in the hottest part of the day, you could be losing a large amount of that water to evaporation. Not only is this wasteful, but it’s also bad news for your lawn. Prevent evaporation by watering early in the morning at the coolest point in the day. Avoid watering late in the evening as leaving the lawn damp overnight can encourage fungus issues in your grass.
Set a Schedule
If you have a sprinkler or irrigation system, install automatic timers so you can be assured your lawn is getting water at the appropriate time. Make sure timers are set to start in the early morning hours, and keep that schedule throughout the hot months. Remember that most Texas lawns require about 1 inch of water each week, which should be doable with a deep watering session two times a week. If your sprinklers run daily, you may risk overwatering your grass.
Watch for Signs of Drought Stress
Drought is pretty common during a Texas summer, and you’ll soon see the toll it’s taking on your lawn. Drought stress has noticeable signs, like:
- Curling or wilting blades
- Dry, brittle areas
- Patches of brown, yellow, or purplish grass
- Slow or halted growth
- Visible footprints in the grass
If you see these signs on your lawn, you’ll need to learn how to address drought stress. That can include adjusting your watering schedule to fit water restrictions while ensuring your grass gets enough and trusting a lawn care service to apply drought stress treatments. Our Stress Helper service can help your lawn better handle the effects of drought stress. It helps your lawn retain water so it can bounce back after the summer heat.
Fall Lawn Watering Tips
Even if the weather cools as the autumn months approach, you’ll still need to keep watch on your lawn and manage its watering needs. Here’s how:
Slowly Cut Back Your Watering Schedule
Your lawn will require less water as you move into the cooler months, but you don’t want to cut it off all at once. Instead, slowly start to roll back your watering schedule from three times a week to two and then down to one as we enter the fall season. Skip a watering day when you have a heavy rain, but also be sure to add one in if you go through an especially hot or dry spell.
Schedule Fall Aeration
Most often, core aeration will be done in the spring. But if your lawn is struggling with thin areas, liquid aeration is a good option for a fall boost before Dallas lawns go into dormancy. Lawn Tech offers both aeration methods for Dallas homeowners. With liquid aeration being less invasive than traditional core aeration, it can be beneficial in the fall to help improve weak root systems after a long, stressful summer.
Get Ahead of the Leaves
Falling leaves are lovely to look at, but they can wreak havoc on your lawn. In particular, when they pile up, they block water from reaching the grass and seeping into the roots. A few leaves here and there will eventually break down and can contribute to healthy soil, but a full carpet of leaves will suffocate your grass and leave it damaged or dead. Be sure to rake leaves regularly throughout the fall so you don’t leave them to collect in a single spot. Regular raking also helps control thatch and keeps your lawn healthy in other ways, so make it part of your routine.
Winter Lawn Watering Tips
You’re off the hook when winter rolls around, right? Wrong. Even through the cooler dormant season, you need to be watchful of your lawn and understand its watering needs. Here’s what to do:
Clean and Inspect Your Sprinkler System
Before you store away any of your irrigation equipment, give it a good once-over to ensure it will be ready to go in the spring. Check for holes or general wear and tear, and get any major issues addressed now.
Adjust Your Watering Time
Your lawn may still need watering during the winter months, depending on the types of turfgrass you have. However, you don’t want water to freeze on your grass, so keep an eye on your local weather. It’s best to water 3-4 days before a freeze to allow the surface to dry before the cold front comes through.
Be Cautious of Frost Damage
In north Dallas, temperatures can dip below freezing, especially through the night and into the morning hours. If your sprinklers kick on early, all that water may simply freeze on your lawn, leaving it vulnerable to damage. Plan to stay ahead of the frost by keeping an eye on the forecast. Shut off your sprinkler or irrigation timers if frost is predicted, and skip the watering. Overall, you should plan to water twice a month during the winter, but never when the ground is frozen.
General Lawn Watering Best Practices
In addition to these seasonal watering tips, there are other best practices you can always leverage to ensure a beautiful and healthy lawn:
- Aerate and dethatch your lawn annually to loosen up compacted soil and help water penetrate.
- Wait for grass to dry between waterings. If you get rain in between, skip the next session.
- Put a screwdriver into your soil. It should be able to go in around 6 inches. If it doesn’t, your soil is likely too dry or compacted.
- Topdress your lawn with compost once a year (usually in the fall).
- Pay attention to where the sun and shade hits your lawn. Shady spots should be watered in shorter frequency, and sunny spots should be watered more. Keep an eye on it, as it will change with the seasons.
How Lawn Tech Can Help Keep Your Yard Green
Keeping a green, healthy, and growing lawn in Texas is no easy feat. That’s why it pays to trust a professional lawn care service in Dallas like Lawn Tech. At Lawn Tech, we offer a comprehensive range of lawn care services, from pest control to core aeration to tree and shrub maintenance. We can help you schedule the maintenance you need and get you on a proper watering schedule so you can achieve your vision of a gorgeous lawn. Schedule your free consultation and get started today!
