Best watering time: morning before noon, allowing grass to dry before nightfall. Account for rainfall. Check restrictions at www.georgiadrought.com.
How to Measure Sprinkler Output
- Place six identical containers randomly in sprinkler pattern.
- Weight plastic cups with a heavy washer.
- Run sprinkler 1 hour.
- Measure depth in each cup; average = inches per hour.
- Calculate run time for 1 inch.
- Expect it to take more than an hour.
New Sod Watering Schedule
- Immediately after laying: 1 inch of water.
- Daily: Enough to keep top 1 inch of soil moist (not soggy) until sod roots. Tug gently to check rooting. Soggy soil causes root disease.
- After rooting: ¼ inch every 3rd day for 9 days.
- Next: ½ inch every 5th day for 10 days.
- Establishment complete: 1 inch per week for rest of growing season.
- No need to water if rainfall supplies enough.
- (Use good judgment; amounts vary by planting season.)
Soil-Specific Tips
- Use a trowel to check water penetration.
- Heavy clay: Slow absorption. If runoff occurs, split irrigation into two sessions 1 hour apart.
- Sandy soil: Fast absorption but quick drying. Split weekly 1 inch into two ½-inch applications 3 days apart.
