Why it could be a good idea to start watering your lawn now rather than waiting for Autumn rain

With this year shaping up to be particularly dry, many homeowners are seeing their lawns turn brown and lifeless as a result of lack of water. With a dry Autumn on the cards, you may need to start watering if you want your lawn to recover before winter

While lawns like couch and kikuyu lose their colour and vigour in dry conditions, they aren't dead; they've simply going into what's called a drought-induced dormancy. A drought-induced dormancy is where your lawn retreats as a survival mechanism. If there hasn’t been enough water to thrive, the lawn will conserve energy and essentially go to sleep and, as a result, look brown and patchy.

If you haven’t watered your lawn much during the Summer and Autumn months, and you have couch or kikuyu, you’re probably experiencing this in your lawns. The good thing is that when the Autumn rains arrive, the lawn breathes a sigh of relief, comes out of dormancy, so to speak and begins to recover.

The other thing to know about couch and kikuyu is that they only grow during the warm months and slow right down during the winter –  Soil temperature determines how active they are - the lower the temperature, the less active they are. 

This means that in order for your lawn to take advantage of Autumn rains, it still needs to be active enough to grow and recover. If Autumn rains come earlier in the autumn, the lawn has plenty of time to recover. If rains come late in the Autumn, the lawn has less time to recover and may not fully recover before it completely slows down for the Winter.

It is possible that this Autumn may remain quite dry.  If you haven’t watered much during the Summer and Spring, while it might be tempting to wait for winter rain to revive your lawn, it may not come this year in time for your lawn to recover prior to Winter. Because of this, there are several compelling reasons to start watering now.

Timing

By giving your lawn some regular water now, it will begin to revive now, while the soil temperature is still warm. This gives your lawn the best chance to recover some colour before Winter. In the event that we don’t get enough rain, or if the rain comes too late, the lawn won’t have the opportunity to recover because soil temperatures will be too low for the lawn to grow.  

Prevent Excessive Damage

While couch and kikuyu lawns can deal with seasonal dryness, prolonged dryness can weaken the root system. If drought conditions persist for too long, your lawn may struggle in its recovery, leading to patchy or slow regrowth. Watering now will help sustain the roots and ensure your grass bounces back quickly when conditions improve.

Keep Your Landscape Looking Good

As we all know, dry lawns don’t look very good, and most people would rather they look green, even if you’re not one to water. While your lawn doesn’t need to be lush and green year-round, keeping it from becoming excessively dry and brittle helps maintain overall curb appeal. A little watering now can make a significant difference in keeping your yard presentable and preventing a costly lawn renovation later.

How much water?

If your lawn is dry and patchy due to lack of water over the Summer and Autumn, I’d recommend applying some liquid wetting agent such as Paul Munns Betta Wet first, and then apply around 25mm of water. This is a good, heavy drink. If you're moving a hose-end sprinkler around your lawn, leave it in each spot for around 45 minutes. If you're using a sprinkler system, you would need to turn each zone on for between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours, depending on the type of sprinkler you have. If your soil is particularly dry, it is likely water repellent as well. Applying a liquid wetter is an essential step to stop the water from running off instead of penetrating in.

Aim to water at least once per fortnight during April and early May. If we get decent rain, you wouldn’t need to continue.

Waiting for winter rain might seem like the easier option, but a proactive approach will save you from potential lawn headaches down the track. By giving your couch or kikuyu lawn some water now, you’re investing in its long-term health, ensuring a faster, stronger recovery now and when the season turns in the Spring.

Start watering now, and your lawn will thank you later!