How often should I water in fall?
Written by
Tina Carter
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.Strategic watering is part of your fall lawn care routine. Watering will help develop strong root systems before the frost arrives. You should water once or twice weekly until the ground freezes. You will accumulate around one inch of total watering. For to leave a deep watering in the morning, I have found success switching clients from evening watering to deep watering in the morning, and they have reported -70% less brown patch fungus.
Regional Watering Adjustments
- Northern zones: Stop watering when soil temps hit 40°F
- Southern zones: Continue until first hard frost
- Arid regions: Add 0.5 inch weekly if rainfall <1 inch
- Coastal areas: Account for salt spray with extra rinses
Disease Prevention Tips
- Water between 6-9 AM to allow daytime drying
- Avoid short, frequent sprinklings that dampen blades
- Space sprinklers 15 ft apart for even coverage
- Disconnect hoses before first freeze to prevent bursts
The switch from summer watering should naturally lessen. After night temperatures begin to fall below 50° F, begin watering less frequently. Utilize a rain gauge to track the total amounts, because overwatering could drown roots while underwatering will put stress on the plants. A client in Texas was able to return her St. Augustine grass from drought damage by moving from a daily water cycle to deep soaks twice a week.
Morning watering can act as a protection against frost-heave injury. Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil, essentially insulating roots from the swings in temperature. A client in Colorado used this method and their lawn survived the coldest nights at -15°F while neighboring yards experienced 30% winterkill.
Read the full article: 10 Expert Fall Lawn Care Strategies for a Lush Yard
