Watering Bermudagrass: Schedules, Measurement, and Drought Tolerance

General Watering Principles

• Water in the morning (before noon) to dry foliage and reduce disease.
• Account for rainfall and local restrictions (georgiadrought.org).
• Measure sprinkler output: 6 weighted cups, run 1 hour, average depth = inches/hour. Calculate run time for 1 inch.
• Check soil penetration with a trowel.
• Clay soil: split irrigation into two sessions 1 hour apart if runoff occurs.
• Sandy soil: split weekly 1 inch into two ½-inch applications 3 days apart.

Drought Tolerance (Weeks Without Water)

During dormancy, grass turns yellow but recovers when water returns if it was healthy initially.