Do You Really Need to Water? How to Tell When Your Lawn Is Thirsty (Or Not!)
Just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean your lawn is thirsty. Florida’s summer rainy season often provides more than enough moisture for your grass to stay green and healthy without extra watering. In fact, overwatering can do more harm than good—weakening roots, inviting pests, wasting money, and increasing pollution in the Indian River Lagoon.
To avoid wasteful irrigation, get familiar with the signs your lawn is truly in need of water. Below are three quick, science-backed methods to check soil moisture and grass stress before turning on your sprinklers.
1. Footprint Test
How it works: Walk across your grass. If the blades spring back quickly, your lawn is hydrated. If your footprints linger and the grass remains bent or matted, the turf may be dry and need water.
Why it works: Grasses like St. Augustine, Bahia, and Zoysia show wilting or loss of turgor pressure when dehydrated. This simple test is supported by University of Florida IFAS Extension guidelines (UF/IFAS, 2020).
2. Color Check
How it works: Look for changes in your lawn’s color. A healthy, well-watered lawn should appear vibrant green. A dull, bluish-gray hue is an early sign of drought stress.
Why it works: Turfgrasses change pigment when under water stress as part of their natural survival mechanism. This is one of the earliest signs your lawn may need moisture (UF/IFAS, 2020).
3. Soil Moisture Check
How it works: Push a screwdriver, soil probe, or even a stick into the ground. If it slides in easily to a depth of 6–8 inches, your soil has sufficient moisture. If there’s resistance or it only penetrates a short distance, your lawn may need water.
Why it works: Moist soil allows for easy tool insertion. Soil moisture sensors used in smart irrigation systems operate on similar principles (US EPA WaterSense, 2023).
Why This Matters for the Lagoon
Overwatering lawns doesn’t just waste water—it pushes nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus past the root zone and into the groundwater. Once in the groundwater, excess nitrogen and phosphorus become pollution and eventually flow into the Indian River Lagoon, where they fuel algae blooms that harm fish, block sunlight, and smother seagrass beds. In addition, overwatering after heavy rain events during our summer rainy season can contribute to excess runoff, which can also carry harmful and excess algae-feeding nutrients to the lagoon. Smarter irrigation helps protect water quality, wildlife, and your wallet.
By only watering when your lawn truly needs it, you’re helping:
- Conserve water
- Reduce pollution
- Follow St. Johns River Water Management District irrigation schedules
- Maintain a healthier, more resilient lawn
🌱 Take Action: Use these tests weekly during dry periods, and consider turning off your irrigation or putting your irrigation timer in manual mode for the summer months.
Join Lagoon Loyal (new website coming soon!) or follow us on social media for more tips and resources to protect our lagoon, one lawn at a time.
References
- UF/IFAS Extension. (2020). Watering Your Florida Lawn. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/LH025
- US EPA WaterSense. (2023). Watering Wisely. https://www.epa.gov/watersense/outdoor
- St. Johns River Water Management District. (2024). Lawn Watering Restrictions.https://www.sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions/
