Setting up watering (sprinkler and timer)
New grass needs steady moisture for weeks. Put a sprinkler and timer in place now, especially on a plot you cannot water every day.
- When
- In order, while the lawn is being made
- For
- Any lawn
- Rule
- est-irrigation-setup · Hessayon; RHS; Regional
New grass needs steady moisture for weeks. Put a sprinkler and timer in place now — essential on a weekend plot you can't hand-water daily.
Why before sowing
The three to four weeks after sowing decide whether the lawn succeeds, and they need light watering every single day. Setting up and testing a sprinkler before you sow means the first watering happens the moment the seed is down, and none are missed.
What you need
- A hose and one or more sprinklers that together cover the whole area. Oscillating sprinklers suit rectangles; rotary or impact sprinklers cover large areas.
- A programmable tap timer, battery or app controlled, that can run once or twice a day.
- For a permanent solution, buried pop-up sprinklers with zones and a controller.
Test the coverage
Put a few straight-sided cans or jars across the area and run the system for 15 minutes. Every can should collect roughly the same amount. Move or add sprinklers until there are no dry corners, and note how long it takes to deliver 3–4 mm.
The schedule
For germination: a short run every morning, plus an early-afternoon run in hot or windy weather. After the first mow, switch to longer, less frequent runs; see summer watering.
Do this first
Sources
- D.G. Hessayon — The Lawn Experthessayon
- Royal Horticultural Society — lawn guidancerhs
- Regional practice — continental climate, zone 7regional