Caring for your yard
Depending on the layout of the townhome you reside in, you have some lawn care to attend to over Spring and Summer months, if you are unsure of what these include feel free to ask for further clarification from administration. The common areas around Hangingstone Point are cared for by landscapers.
Watering the lawn takes balance. Too much or too little can damage the grass, encourage certain diseases, and lead to weed and pest infestations.
So its helpful to learn a little about keeping your lawn and yard, healthy and beautiful all season long.
When is the best time of day to water your grass?
In the spring and summer, avoid watering in the afternoon as heat can evaporate up to 30% of the water as it jets out of the sprinklers.
Watering in the late evening doesn’t give the grass enough time to dry, leaving it vulnerable to fungal disease. What is recommended is:
#1 best time to water is before 10 a.m.
#2 best time to water is 4-6 p.m.
Tips for watering properly
Make sure your grass gets 2.5 cm of water each week.
Whether it comes from rain or watering, this amount ideally should arrive all at once to encourage roots to penetrate deeper into the soil, making it more drought-tolerant.
Let the grass dry between waterings
More water is not better for your lawn. Overwatering can lead to fungal disease, weeds, and pests.
Stick to weekly watering
In the spring and summer, you may be watering flowers, veggies, and landscape plants every day. Don’t put your lawn onto the same schedule. Frequent, shorter waterings will leave you with shallow roots and more vulnerable grass.
Buy or DIY a rain gauge
It would be helpful to purchase a condensation gauge at a gardening store or mark 2.5 cm on a can or cup that you already have. Place the condensation or “rain gauge” within range of your sprinkler system and time how long it takes for the water line to reach 2.5 cm. Once you have this information, you can add a timer to some sprinklers or just manually observe how long you should be watering your grass.
Check the soil
If puddling occurs while you water, use shorter cycles to give the ground time to catch up—for example, 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. You want to try to get the water to have reached 2.5 cm.
The water you add to your lawn should go at least 15 cm into the soil as a result. To check this, you can drive a long screwdriver into the ground. If it goes to that depth easily, the soil is in good shape. If not, it needs more water.
Top dress your lawn in the fall
Golf courses taught us how well this works. A thin layer of nutrient-rich compost holds onto moisture, so your lawn will require less watering, do this in the fall to help your grass return in the Spring time, that much better.
How Often to Water Newly Planted Grass
When watering a newly seeded lawn, keep the top layer of soil consistently moist but not soggy. Mist the seeded area one or more times a day.
Then, once the seeds start to germinate, make sure the top 5 cm of soil is moist until the grass reaches around 8 cm. After that, you can water deeply two times a week, which will encourage the roots to grow down farther.
Signs of an Overwatered Lawn
Adding too much water to your lawn prevents the grass from accessing the other elements it needs to survive. It also keeps the grass from growing deeper roots because water is so available higher in the ground. You’ve added to much water if there are mini streams water run off your lawn, squishes, discolours, etc.
Not Watering Your Lawn at All
Whether it’s a drought advisory, or water-use ban, you can let the grass go dormant. Lawns are resilient, and a properly cared-for lawn can survive for up to 6 weeks without water. Then, once the rain comes, your yard will recover.
Dead grass, does need to be replaced or replenished by renters at Hangingstone Point. So be mindful not to purposely neglect your grass.
Watering in Sunny vs. Shady Areas
The amount of sun your grass receives has an impact on how much water it needs. For shady lawns, you’ll still water deeply but you’ll do so less often. Sunny areas require more frequent, deep waterings.
Water early in the day, so the water has time to absorb or evaporate. Be sure not to water a little at a time. This encourages shallow grass roots, but deeper roots lead to a strong, healthy lawn.
You can also buy grass seed that is formulated to thrive in shade, partial shade, or full sun.
Fall
As temperatures start to cool and days become shorter, lawn watering often falls by the wayside, but it’s not time to stop just yet.
Grass roots are busy absorbing nutrients and recovering from a summer of heat, sun, and footprints. So give them a boost by watering 2.5 cm per week until the ground freezes.
Fall is also the perfect time to overseed your lawn and repair bare patches with overseeding mix and starting fertilizer products. But, again, follow the watering instructions on the product label to get the best results.
If you have any questions about your lawn care, email admin@hangingstonepoint.ca or have a look at https://hangingstonepoint.ca/property-services/ for available services.