Your irrigation system is an important tool in maintaining a healthy lawn and garden throughout the year. And even though the automatic timer makes watering a set it and forget it experience, the timer itself should be adjusted a few times a year to reflect the needs of your yard. As summer rolls into fall, the temperatures begin to drop, and the watering needs of your lawn and garden are also reduced. Adjusting your watering times and lengths in the fall will help ensure you are not overwatering your lawn and garden as well as help conserve water and save you some expense on your water consumption.

When is the right time to stop watering your lawn?

As temperatures continue to drop throughout fall, we have many homeowners asking us whether they should continue watering their lawn regularly or to stop completely! As the days become shorter, the growth of your lawn slows down, this also means there is less direct sunlight on your lawn. Resulting in water evaporating at a slower rate, meaning your grass will require less water, but still requires some water. You shouldn’t stop watering your lawn completely in the fall, but reducing the amount and the frequency is suggested. There is no one size fits all answer as to when to reduce your watering and by how much. You have to make that decision based on the area and climate you live in. A good rule to follow is if the rate of precipitation per week in your area is about one inch or more, then you do not have to water at all. You should continue to ensure your lawn and garden are watered until about the time the ground freezes. This ensures your yard will be receiving supplement moisture to the ground.

Early fall is also a great time to lay new sod and establishing a new lawn. If this is the case with your yard, you have to give your lawn time for the roots to develop deep enough into the soil to survive the winter months. When you adjust your irrigation system for fall, you need to keep your yard’s unique characteristics in mind as well as preparing for the harsher winter months to arrive.

Prepare for winterization

As fall rolls into winter it is time to adjust your irrigation system once again. During the winter months, the ground freezes and thus you have to ensure your irrigation lines are clear of any water to prevent damage from any frozen lines. If you are not experienced or comfortable with preparing your irrigation system for the winter, give the professionals at Turf Rain Irrigation Systems a call at 416-856-5000 for professional winterization service.