A dehydrated lawn can turn brown and brittle or even die. On the other hand, too much water pushes the air out of the soil, leaving the grass without oxygen and at risk of turning rotten. The secret to a great-looking lawn is to keep it hydrated just enough – at all times. You’ll get the best result by watering it thoroughly but not too frequently.

In some climates, such as for example the one in Northern Europe, there is little or no need for watering. However, in warmer and drier parts of the world, the grass must be watered regularly so it does not dry out. Here are some signs of your lawn being dehydrated:

• The grass changes colour to light green and then starts to turn yellow
• The leaf blades curl and shrivel
• Your footprints remain longer on the grass

Early in the morning is the ideal time to water for most lawns. The grass will have a full day to dry and the water won’t evaporate at once since the sun hasn’t had time to heat up the lawn. However, the less wasteful choice is to water at night. Just be careful with the amount of water so that it doesn’t cling on to the blades of the grass overnight, creating a moist environment – perfect for fungus to grow.

If there is no rain, the lawn should be watered twice a week, with 10 to 15 millimetres each time. If the grass keeps getting insufficient amounts of water, the root system is forced to the surface where the water is and consequently the grass becomes even more sensitive to drought. Use a rain gauge to check how much water has gone on your lawn. Also, adapt the rate of water supply to the soil type the lawn is based on, making sure that the water has time to sink in while watering is underway.

A sprinkling system is an easy and comfortable way to keep your garden hydrated. Sprinklers can be fixed in the ground, put on stands or travelling across the lawn during watering. If you connect your sprinklers to a watering computer, you can even leave on a holiday knowing your lawn and plants will be taken care of.

Many lawns have spots that require more water then the rest of the lawn. Install a rain barrel and use the harvested water to water these spots by hand.