10 tips to prevent over-watering your lawn/garden & a giveaway

*This post is sponsored by Pennington Seed*

Are you over-watering your lawn? I did for a long time, until I went to Portland last year and met the folks at Pennington Seed and learned all about how grass works. I was shocked to learn that most people over-water - which is bad for the lawn, wastes money and is bad for the environment. Did you know that in 2012, the U.S. experienced the hottest year on record and two-thirds of the country faced drought— the most ever experienced? Now is the time of year to start to think about your lawn, and taking care of it. Because I'm all about making life easy for you (and me!), I'm sharing 10 ways to re-think watering your lawn and garden. 

1. Choose the right plants - including the proper grass seed. Look at your zone, how much shade you have to decide what works best where. Don't use a shade variety grass seed in all sun areas, and don't use all sun type plants in the shade. They are engineered over years and years of research to make them the most effective. All the tags & packaging that comes with the product will be your guide.  Using high-quality seed that requires less water and contains no filler means that lawns grow to be more resilient and easier to maintain. Each seed in Pennington Smart Seed is further enhanced with Pennington's exclusive MYCO Advantage seed technology. 
2. One inch in one week. Lawns require approximately 1 inch of water per week to stay green in the summer, which equates to about 2,500 gallons of water per week to keep an average-sized lawn green. If you're watering more than that you're wasting water - and money.
3. Use the right equipment in the right areas. Drip irrigation system around trees and shrubs in your landscape to improve water efficiency, watering only when needed, minimizing water loss due to evaporation and preventing moisture from reaching spaces between plants. It also helps to prevent weeds in open areas because just like the plants you want to keep, they need water to grow, too.
4. Sprinklers in the right spaces. Place sprinkler systems so they are only watering your lawn, not the driveway or street. If you still see water running out onto flat areas, that means you're watering too much. 
5. Water in the coolest time of day. Reduce the amount of water lost in evaporation by watering when it's cool. This timing allows grass to retain moisture but still dry in enough time to prevent diseases that are more likely to develop in a wet lawn. It will take less water, which is important since 36 states anticipate on-going local, regional or statewide water shortages, even under non-drought conditions. 
6. Don't throw water into the wind. Wind acts like a natural blow dryer, keeping water from soaking in where it's needed. If you have a particularly windy day, avoid watering that day to prevent this problem.
7. Make the most of mulch. Spread mulch when seeding new areas to add a protective layer over soil. The mulch will help your soil retain moisture during the critical seed germination and establishment stages. The clippings from mulching mowers also serve the same purpose—preserving soil moisture and nutrients for growing grass.
8. Don't water until needed. Lawns tend to be overwatered, often with entire lawns being watered to avoid a few dry spots. Overwatering can cause lots of problems, which will only add to your issues. A lawn does not need water until the color falls by 50 percent, then remember the one inch rule.
9. Fertilize cautiously. Fertilization supplies plants with essential nutrients for strength, uniform growth and a healthy, fibrous root system. When a plant is healthy it takes less water. There also is less chance of the plant being “burned” or dried out to a point beyond recovery. Fertilizers should not be applied during periods of drought.
10. Sweep away the debris. Don't use your water hose to clean off sidewalks or walkways, instead use a broom. The run off water will add to over-watering issues and drought problems, too.

To help you get a jump start on your lawn care, Pennington Seed is giving away a $50 American Express gift card to one of my readers!  To enter, leave a comment below sharing your tip on taking care of your lawn.

Winner will be contacted via email - so if you do not have your account linked to your comment profile, please leave your email address in the links. Must be a US resident 18+, void where prohibited. Giveaway ends Monday, April 22nd at midnight central time.

Want more ideas on taking care of your lawn? Be sure to follow Pennington Seed on Facebook or Twitter.

Disclosure Statement
Central Garden & Pet partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about their Pennington products. As part of this program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Central Garden & Pet believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Central Garden & Pet’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. A winner will be chosen by random and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

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