July 24, 2023, 3:41 am | Read time: 2 minutes

The lawn only needs our help in exceptional cases. Generally, the water available from rain is sufficient, explains Regina Fischer from the German Agricultural Industry Association (IVA). Summer dryness is not necessarily harmful to the lawn, even if brown spots appear during this time. The plants usually recover with the next rain.

How to Water the Lawn During Dry Spells

If you want to avoid brown spots and therefore water the lawn, you don’t need to do it daily. According to garden expert Fischer, watering the lawn twice a week in the morning for 30 minutes each time with a sprinkler is sufficient. The German Lawn Society advises similarly: During dry spells, water the area thoroughly once or twice a week in the morning. Only grasses under trees need more frequent watering.

More on the topic

Properly Watering Your Garden Plants Get Just the Right Amount of Water With These Tips

During prolonged drought 12 Tips to Save Water in the Garden

Water Less Often, but More Intensively

Important: The soil should not only be wet on the surface, but the root zone of the lawn should also be moist. If this doesn’t happen, the roots remain near the surface, where the water is most accessible. If you skip watering during dry times, the roots can dry out more quickly.

However, if you water more intensively each time, the roots will extend downward. This allows them to sustain themselves longer. This approach not only better protects your lawn from drying out in the long run but also conserves water.

More on this: Why Conservative Watering is Actually Good for the Lawn

Use Rainwater

You can experiment with which sprinkler settings and how much water are needed to reach the deeper roots of the lawn—without wasting too much valuable drinking water. However, it’s best to use rainwater collected in barrels or cisterns. A rain barrel pump can transfer it from the barrel to a hose and a lawn sprinkler.

with material from dpa