Have you ever looked at someone’s yard and wondered how they got such lush green grass? How do they get their grass to grow beautifully all season long regardless of the temperature or precipitation? For many, having a lush green yard means having a sprinkler system installed that is set to a timer and automatically waters the lawn on schedule to ensure it is watered thoroughly and evenly. But really, how many can afford to have a sprinkler system installed?
There are ways to simply water your lawn with a garden hose that will ensure the same lush green grass. All you will need are a good garden hose and a reliable water source. You can find garden hoses at all your local hardware stores or big box stores that sell lawn care supplies. Hoses generally come in sizes ranging from 25 feet to 100 feet. Buy the hose length that will be most ideal for your specific yard. You’ll need the water to reach from your outdoor faucet to the farthest edges of your yard.
According to many experts, the perfect amount of water when watering a lawn is one inch per watering session, which comes out to roughly half a gallon per square foot. Obviously, you won’t be out there measuring buckets of water, but if you measure a single bucket and how long it takes you to fill, that will give you an idea of how long you need to water your lawn.
The frequency of water sessions will depend on the precipitation and temperature where you live. You can skip watering sessions on days you get a good rain and the ground stays soft. If your yard starts feeling dry or hard, you’ll need to water it. This can happen if you haven?t had rain in a few days or if the temperatures are really high causing the ground to dry out faster.
Watering in the evening hours will help keep the water in the ground longer because the sun will be going down and there won’t be any direct heat on your yard for several hours. If you want to cut down on the amount of time you spend watering your lawn without sacrificing the lush green grass, you can simply buy a bigger hose. A 3/4-inch water hose can release three times more water than a 1/2-inch hose.
You can also choose to buy a soaker hose. This is a special hose with holes throughout, so you can lay it out throughout your yard, turn it on, and leave it. Think of a soaker hose as a portable sprinkler system. You can move the hose as needed to ensure the entire yard is getting watered.
A good quality garden hose should last anywhere from five to ten years. If you find you need to buy a new hose every year, you should consider buying a better quality hose. Many think they are saving money by buying the cheapest hose, but you aren?t. Think of it this way, if you are paying half the price, but the hose needs to be replaced every year, you’ll actually be spending 2.5x as much as you would over the course of five years if you just bought the more expensive hose.
