Shoutout to my neighbor who told me I was watering my lawn all wrong

I used to water every day for 15 minutes like clockwork. Then my neighbor Ray came over last month and said I was doing more harm than good with that schedule. He showed me how to stick a screwdriver into the soil and check moisture deeper down. Now I water twice a week for 45 minutes and it's a night and day difference. My grass actually looks green instead of that sickly yellow it had before. Has anyone else had a random neighbor drop some wisdom like that on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliverhernandez1mo ago

Did you try sticking a screwdriver in before Ray showed you, cause I was doing the exact same wrong schedule for years until my neighbor saved my lawn too.

torres.thea1mo ago

Gently push back on that twice a week schedule depending on where you live. I tried the exact same thing after a neighbor told me the same advice and my grass almost died during a dry spell here in Texas. The screwdriver test is great for checking deep moisture but you really have to adjust based on your climate and soil type. If you have sandy soil like I do, that 45 minute soak just drains right through and never actually waters deep enough. I ended up doing three longer sessions a week plus a quick sprinkle on the really hot days and that finally fixed my grass. Just saying you might want to keep an eye on it and tweak as needed instead of sticking to a rigid schedule.