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Important Part of Growing a Successful Lawn, Landscape, or Garden

Watering is essential in every single aspect of Landscaping. We have included a full watering guide that should give you all of the information you will need to water efficiently and effectively.

Watering plants and grass is an important part of growing a successful lawn, landscape, or garden. Watering methods and procedures are different for every plant. You would not want to simply water your plants when you water your lawn and vice versa. Every plant needs different amounts of water at different times and on different schedules. Understanding the plant you are watering is the first step. Obviously, your garden, lawn, and indoor plants will have completely different watering habits.

We will start in the yard. If you have the correct type of grass for your location and climate, your yard will only need watering in periods of low rainfall or drought. A yard will survive and look much better when it is watered properly. A good rule of thumb is to water irregularly and deeply. It is important that the water you put on your lawn reaches all the way down to the roots of the grass. Strong root systems are the secrete to a beautiful lawn. When you water deeply, the water on the surface will eventually evaporate, forcing the roots to go deep in search of water.

If you do not put down enough water on your grass, or the water evaporated before it can reach the roots, shallow roots will develop and when water is scarce the roots will not be able to obtain the water that is deep in the soil, thus dying. Grass should be watered in the early morning for optimal results. If you water mid-day the sun and the warm soil temperatures will evaporate the water before it hits the roots and watering in the evening will soak the soil throughout the night, allowing diseases and weeds to form.

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The best way to water a lawn properly is to set up a sprinkler system in the early morning from around 3am to 6 am. Most lawns will require about an inch of water for the water to get down to the roots. To measure how much water your sprinkler is putting out, set a few cans or cups in various spots in the yard. Monitor how much water is collected in the cups to determine how long you need to run your sprinkler.

The same rules that go for grass often times apply to outdoor plants. Most outdoor plants such as perennials, flowering trees, woody plants, ornamental trees, and shrubs require watering during periods without natural rainfall or during new growth. Watering needs to be deep and soaking, applied directly to the soil as apposed to the foliage.

A great way to water gardens or multiple outdoor landscapes is with a drip irrigation system. These systems are easy to install and they constantly water plants using a series of hoses that slowly and constantly drip water directly into the soil around your plants. If you water a plant during times of direct sunlight take extra care not to let water sit on the foliage, as this will magnify the sunlight, and kill leaves by evaporating the water within.

Regular watering is necessary for transplanted or freshly planted trees. Also keep in mind that trees or shrubs that are planted in less then ideal soil (clay, rock ,sand) will have different water retaining properties. Clay, for example, will collect water and not absorb it, thus drowning the plant and weakening its roots. Sandy soils will absorb water. Don’t be shy to contact Omaha landscape and sprinkler companies for advice or even better let them take care of your lawn. If you take all these factors into consideration, you shouldn’t loose any of your plants.

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