# Proper Lawn Watering > How long to water your lawn, how often, and when: a proper lawn watering schedule for hot, dry North Texas summers, with an easy way to measure what your sprinklers put down. Canonical page: https://www.greenlawnfertilizing.net/proper-lawn-watering Published December 18, 2018. Category: Lawn Care Tips. The short version: in North Texas, most lawns need about one inch of water per week, delivered before 10am, in a way that wets the soil 6 to 8 inches deep. In summer heat, split that inch across two or three days rather than one long soak. Below we cover how long to water your lawn, how often, when to water, and how to measure what your sprinklers actually put down. Watering is what keeps a lawn healthy and green. You can have the best fertilization and the best weed control, but if the grass does not get enough water, it will not stay green. In the Rockwall area we do not always get a lot of rain, but we do get a lot of heat, well over 100 degrees for days at a stretch in summer. That is exactly when a proper lawn watering schedule matters most. ## When Should You Water Your Lawn? Water in the early morning, before 10am. If you have an irrigation system, set it to start around 4am so the whole lawn is watered before the sun is high. Depending on how many zones you have and how long each runs, a full cycle can take an hour or two. Early-morning watering lets the water soak into the soil instead of evaporating in the heat of the day. Just as important, avoid watering in the evening. If you water after sunset, the grass blades stay wet overnight, and that is how lawn disease gets started. ## How Often Should You Water Your Lawn? For most North Texas lawns, two to three waterings a week is better than watering a little every day. Deep, less-frequent watering trains the roots to grow down toward the moisture, which makes the lawn far more drought-tolerant than shallow daily sprinkling. In the peak of summer, three shorter waterings a week usually beats one long one: the soil holds the moisture better and less runs off. In spring and fall, when it is cooler and the grass is growing more slowly, you can back off to once or twice a week. As for when to start watering your lawn for the season, begin once the grass breaks dormancy and greens up in spring and natural rainfall no longer keeps up. ## How Long and How Much Should You Water? Aim to wet the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, which for most lawns works out to about one inch of water per week. How long that takes depends on your sprinkler heads. Rotor heads, the kind that rotate back and forth, put water down slowly, so they need to run longer, often around 20 minutes per zone. Fixed pop-up spray heads put water down faster, so about 10 minutes per zone is usually enough. Every lawn is different, so watch how much water it gets and how much runs off, and adjust from there. If water starts running off into the street before the time is up, split the watering into two shorter cycles with a break in between so the soil can absorb it. ## How to Measure What Your Sprinklers Put Down The simplest method is the can test. Set an empty can (a tuna can works well) out on the lawn, run your sprinkler system or hose for 10 minutes, then measure the water in the can. That tells you how fast your system applies water, so you can figure out how long to run it to reach one inch. A rain or water gauge does the same job. If you know the square footage of your lawn, you can also do the math directly: multiply the square footage by 0.62 gallons, then divide by your irrigation system's flow rate. That gives you the run time needed to deliver an inch of water across the whole lawn. Lawns can survive weeks without water. They turn brown and look dead, but they are usually just dormant, and once they get the water they need they green back up. We provide lawn care and weed control in the Rockwall area and would be glad to help with your lawn. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long should you water your lawn? Long enough to wet the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, which is roughly one inch of water per week. With rotor sprinkler heads that is often about 20 minutes per zone; with fixed pop-up spray heads, about 10 minutes per zone. Use the can test to dial in the exact time for your system. ### How often should I water my lawn? Two to three times a week for most North Texas lawns, watering deeply each time rather than a little every day. In peak summer heat, three shorter waterings a week hold moisture better with less runoff. In spring and fall you can drop to once or twice a week. ### When is the best time of day to water your lawn? Early morning, before 10am, ideally starting around 4am with an irrigation system. Morning watering lets the soil absorb the water before it evaporates. Avoid watering in the evening, because grass that stays wet overnight is prone to disease. ### How much water does a lawn need? About one inch of water per week, enough to moisten the soil 6 to 8 inches deep. In extreme summer heat a lawn may need a little more; in cooler months it needs less. Splitting that inch across two or three waterings usually works better than one long soak. ### When should I start watering my lawn in the spring? Start once the grass breaks dormancy and greens up and natural rainfall is no longer keeping the soil moist. Until then, spring rain usually covers what the lawn needs. ## Contact - Phone: (469) 344-9619 - Email: john@greenlawnfertilizing.net - Address: 155 Gumbo Dr, Rockwall, TX 75032 - Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sun closed - Contact form: https://www.greenlawnfertilizing.net/contact