sprinkler, the water can easily evaporate before it
even hits the lawn.
• Another green question is: What is the best time
to water? Most turf experts agree that watering is
best done early in the morning. It is still relatively
cool at this time of the day and the sun is not at
its strongest. The water will have a chance
to penetrate rather than be lost to
evaporation. The turf will have
access to a good source of
moisture during the latter
part of the day.
Watering in early
morning is also better than
watering at night when it
comes to disease control.
Lawns watered during the
evening end up with water
pooling on the leaves, and
the water does not evaporate
as quickly as it does during the
warmth of the day. This encourages
fungal growth and other turfgrass diseases.
Watering during the early morning hours also
allows the plants to absorb the moisture when
they are active during the day rather than when
they are dormant at night. In these times of water
conservation awareness, watering at the right
time of the day is an environmentally friendly
decision to make.
• Also, set the sprinklers to water the lawn and not
the sidewalks and driveways. If you have to move
the sprinkler from time to time to cover the whole
lawn, then make the effort to do so.
Following these watering tips will make sure that
your garden stays green, in more ways than one! ●
Gerald Filipski is a member of the Garden Writers
Association of America and has been gardening
columnist for the Edmonton Journal for over thirty
years. Jerry suspects that many of us will be out
gardening a great deal these days and reports, “It is
already allowing me mental relief from negativity.”
news&views SUMMER 2020 | 21