Grass roots will remain shallow if lawns are watered daily or too frequently, as the short cycles do not provide enough water for roots to grow deep. The Natural Resources Conservation Service recommends watering lawns less often, every 4 to 8 days, and providing more water each time to encourage deeper root growth. Deeper roots result in a healthier, greener lawn that can better withstand dry conditions. Homeowners should consider soil type, climate, and irrigation guidelines to determine the best schedule for their lawn.

1. Utah Sprinkler
NRCS:
Lawn Irrigation Frequency
Determines Root Depth

2. Lush lawns with neat, green grass are considered the pinnacle of lawn health. But it would be wrong to
think that lawn health is dependent on how green and thick the grass is alone. How deeply and firmly
the roots go down into the ground is an important factor, too.
Many homeowners tend to overlook root depth when tackling lawn maintenance. This, in turn, leads to
neglecting the volume of water released in lawn irrigation systems, which is a major determinant of lawn
health.
Shallow Roots Result from Frequent Watering
The Lawn Irrigation Guide of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recommends
irrigating less often and releasing more water each cycle. This encourages grass roots to grow deeper
into the soil. Furthermore, this irrigation technique helps keep the soil moist. With the addition of
biomass, moist soil can hold more nutrients for the grass’s benefit.

3. According to the NCRS guide, irrigating once every four to eight days is enough to keep lawns green and
healthy and encourage grass roots to grow sufficiently deep into the ground.
Shortcomings in Daily Irrigation
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) discourages excessive irrigation because overly
saturated soil leads to poor aeration. This affects the biological activity in the soil, increasing the
ground’s nutrient content and oxygen level.
Granted, daily irrigation could be ideal for certain types of plants, soil, and climates. But lawns in
locations that experience a nice balance of warm and rainy weather respond better when irrigated less
frequently (except during the summer when the ground dries up faster than usual).
The problem with daily irrigation is that the cycles are usually too brief. It sounds logical, but it also has
a disadvantage: there won’t be enough water to go deeper into the ground. Following the principles of
plant adaptation, grass roots will remain in the shallow ground where there’s enough water and
nutrients for sustenance.

4. By following the NRCS recommendation, and after consideration of other factors like soil type and
climate, lawn owners should be able to find the best irrigation schedule that will encourage deeper root
growth. This is one of the keys to a green and healthy lawn all year round.
Sources:
http://slosson.ucdavis.edu/newsletters/Wu_200029045.pdf
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0100e/a0100e06.htm
http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance_grass_roots_2/
http://utahsprinkler.com/