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Overwatering Your Lawn Can Lead to Brown Patches in the Grass

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brown patch in grass from over watering

Many customers equate a brown spot in their lawn as the lawn needing more water, when actually the opposite is what is often required. Too much water saturates the soil, filling up all the air space between the soil particles with water. This results in an anaerobic condition; basically the plant drowns, as it does not have enough oxygen to survive.

How Do Sprinkler Systems Overwater the Lawn?

Having a sprinkler system is great and it allows you to water your lawn with the push of a button. Unfortunately, people with a sprinkler system have a tendency to overwater. This can result in wasting water and can be detrimental to the health of your lawn—and that’s when many homeowners see brown patches in the grass. Many sprinkler systems have a rain sensor in place as part of the system. These are great additions, but they do need to be inspected at least once a year to ensure that they are functioning properly. These sensors fail occasionally, meaning that they will not turn off the sprinkler system if it begins to rain. They can also get covered by leaves, become dislodged, get dirty, or need internal parts replaced on a regular basis.

Consider Adding Moisture Sensors to Prevent Overwatering

Another addition to the system would be moisture sensors that are placed in the ground to monitor how much moisture the soil contains. These sensors would then report back to the control unit and shut that zone down or increase the amount of water another zone may require. There is added cost to installing the sensors, and you may need to upgrade your control unit, but these items will pay for themselves by using less water and guarding against overwatering the lawn.

Maintenance Is the Key

Having your sprinkler system inspected on an annual basis is almost a necessity these days, especially if you live in areas experiencing drought conditions. Having an efficient system that correctly places water where and when it is needed is best for your lawn as well as your bank account. In select markets, Spring-Green offers sprinkler system maintenance checks as well as upgrades to your current system. Check with your local Spring-Green office to see if this service is available to keep your system in tip top shape.