In the greater Chicago area, the humid climate can help lawns to thrive and remain a source of pride for property owners. A healthy lawn can increase curb appeal and real estate value, and become a property highlight.
If you’re a homeowner, your yard is an outdoor haven — a space where you can enjoy the outdoors and create memories with your loved ones. You may even schedule regular watering to keep your grass plush and green. But can you overwater your grass? What does overwatered grass look like? How can you prevent it?
Let’s take a look.
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Can you overwater your grass?
In short, yes, you can overwater your grass. Overwatered grass can present a multitude of costly issues for property owners. If your sprinkler system malfunctions and saturates one area of your lawn, you’ll quickly see the signs. Similarly, if you water your yard too frequently, signs of overwatering will appear within a few days.
Overwatering can be out of your control, too. In the greater Chicago area, heavy rains can overwater your grass and deprive your lawn’s roots from the nourishment and oxygen it needs to remain healthy. Even if your grass seems dry, or you worry about dead patches spreading, too much water can exacerbate the problem and create stress and unnecessary expense.
Problems caused by an overwatered lawn
Overwatered grass is often a huge factor in problematic lawns, can lower curb appeal, and may even lead to yard flooding. Here are some of the other, less obvious issues caused by overwatered grass:
- Drowned or Suffocated Grass:
Too much water can drown or suffocate your grass by filling air pockets in the soil and preventing oxygen from reaching grass roots.
- Fungus:
Oversaturated, wet grass areas are extremely appealing to fungus like the fungal disease brown patch, mushrooms, and root rot.
- Leaching:
Leaching occurs when fertilizer and pesticides leak through the soil and pollute root systems and underground water resources.
- Runoff issues:
Overwatered grass may cause packed soil that can no longer absorb water, which can cause flooding and harmful toxins like black mold and mildew.
- Soil erosion:
Overwatering your grass can also cause soil erosion by creating compacted soil that can’t absorb water and nutrients.
5 signs you’ve overwatered your lawn
When you overwater your grass, along with the less visible issues that may arise, you may see warning signs that you’re killing your lawn. The good news is, there are ways to correct these issues — and it’s important to cut back on your watering schedule if you notice any of these issues occurring.
Discolored grass
If you notice that your once deep green grass is browning, pale, or yellowed, this could be a warning sign of overwatering. Typically, you’ll see patches or significant areas in your yard where discoloration is visible.
Insect infestation
Soggy lawns are ripe for pesty insects, including mosquitoes, Japanese beetles, ants, and cutworms. These pests can invade your home, and cause your loved ones to avoid spending time in the outdoor haven you’ve worked so hard to create.
Lawn rust
Lawn rust is a fungal disease that will cause your grass to be covered in a rust-like, yellow-orange powder. The grass underneath lawn rust may appear discolored, and fungal spores can spread indoors as it can be transferred from spores on the bottom of your shoes or your pets’ feet.
Soggy soil
If your once firm and healthy soil begins to feel soggy, you may have overwatered grass. Press your foot on the ground and look for excess water. If the soil feels spongy and water pools out from underneath your foot, there’s a chance you’ve overwatered your lawn.
Swampy yard
Nobody wants a swampy yard. This gross condition can be caused by yard drainage issues, soil erosion, improper grading, and can arise from overwatered grass. Too much water impacts your soil and can cause compact, hard topsoil that cannot absorb water or allow it to travel to roots. If an area of your yard has collected standing water and started to look like a swamp, it may be a sign that you’ve overwatered your grass.
Weeds
Healthy grass doesn’t thrive in overly wet conditions, but weeds definitely do. If your yard has signs of unhealthy grass, fungal growth, or insect infestation, there’s a good chance a bounty of weeds will crop up as well. Weed growth, like crabgrass and dandelions, can quickly grow out of control and choke out the roots of healthy grass and plant life.
How to avoid overwatering your lawn
If you’re concerned that you may be overwatering your grass, many Illinois municipalities have sprinkler mandates in place that you should follow. For example, in Chicago, sprinkling your lawn is only permitted Monday-Friday, and from the hours of 5:00 am – 8:00 am, and from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
Consider reducing your watering schedule and check to ensure that your soil is absorbing water. This can help decrease the potential of overwatering.
How to fix an overwatered lawn
If you’ve noticed any of the aforementioned issues cropping up in your yard, all is not lost! You can nurse your grass back to health, and may even be able to avoid incurring expensive costs. However, if signs of overwatered grass persist, it may be time to call the right lawn maintenance team.
Here are some of the steps you can take to transform overwatered grass into a healthy, thriving lawn:
- Allow your lawn to dry out. In the interim, avoid watering. Once your yard feels dry and your soil no longer feels soggy, you can resume a light watering schedule.
- Avoid watering your grass after heavy rains. Even if it’s hot and the sun is shining shortly after a storm, wait a day or two before resuming your watering schedule.
- Change your watering schedule. If you’re watering twice a day, consider reducing your sprinkler’s automatic settings to once a day.
- Consult a landscaping team about solutions to combat issues such as dead grass, soil erosion, and swampy areas.
- Ensure you’re equally watering the entirety of your lawn. Focusing on one area can lead to overwatered grass.
Healthy lawn FAQ
If you want to protect your lawn and keep it healthy, you may have questions about how to do so. Here are some of the most frequent questions we receive about how to maintain a healthy lawn.
Is it better to overwater or underwater grass?
Both underwatering and overwatering your grass can be equally detrimental to your yard. However, it may take a bit of trial and error to find the right balance. Signs of an underwatered lawn include:
- Brown grass
- Clumpy grass
- Dry grass
- Hard, cracked soil
- Visible footprints
When should I water my grass?
In order to maintain a healthy lawn, your watering schedule should be based, in part, on your local climate. In the greater Chicago area, the humid climate reduces the amount of water you should ensure your grass receives.
A good rule of thumb is to commit to one inch of watering per week, and to make sure your watering schedule allows roots to absorb the water. You shouldn’t have to water your grass very frequently.
How can you tell if your lawn is healthy?
Your lawn is healthy if your grass quickly absorbs moisture, your grass is green, thick, and grows uniformly, and you don’t have weeds. This is also a good sign that you don’t have overwatered grass.
Based in Naperville, Illinois, Ware Landscaping is family-owned and operated. For over 20 years, we’ve been helping our Chicago-area neighbors create and protect healthy lawns. We’re here to keep your property looking pristine throughout every season!
Contact us for your landscaping, yard drainage, and lawn maintenance needs and check out our website to discover landscaping tips, our multiple service locations, satisfied client testimonials, and more about our comprehensive services.
