“The technician was just here, should I water my lawn now or wait?” Watering after an application is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to lawn care applications. To answer this question, you must understand that lawn care applications are typically 2-parted and therefore have a 2-parted answer. Yes, the lawn does need to be watered following a lawn care application because of the fertilizer, but has to be watered after a certain time frame because of the weed control.
Granular Fertilizer Applications
The granular fertilizer or pre-emergent applied during a lawn care application should be watered into the soil within 10-14 days of the application being applied, from either rainfall or irrigation. Granular fertilizer must be watered into the soil so that it activates, breaks down, and begins feeding nutrients to the lawn. If the granular fertilizer is not watered into the soil, it will lay dormant and ineffective and may also pose risks of burning the lawn if it continues to lay dormant throughout the summer months.
Weed Control Applications
Liquid weed control does not need to be watered in however it is safe to water the lawn following lawn care applications once the weed control product has dried, which is about 2 hours after applying; however we recommend waiting a full 24 hours before turning on the irrigation system to water the lawn. Be sure to use caution when watering because too much water can actually break down the effectiveness of the application faster, allowing the possibility of more weeds to be present within the lawn.
Rain after an Application
One of the biggest concerns with lawn care applications is when it rains shortly after the products have been applied. For granular fertilizer, this is not an issue; however, for weed control, any heavy rainfall within 2 hours of application could cause the application to be less effective.
At TurfGator, we monitor the weather very closely and try to accommodate accordingly due to the rain predictions; yet, sometimes, late spring and summer pop-up storms are hard to predict and our technicians may be caught in the midst of heavy rainfall while completing their route. In instances like this, we ask homeowners to monitor the effectiveness of the weed control for 10 days before calling our office. When we run into issues with heavy rainfall during a scheduled route, TurfGator offers free service calls to all customers within that day’s schedule.
Sum it up
When it comes to watering the lawn after a lawn care application, a good rule of thumb is to wait at least 24 hours after an application before watering but be sure the lawn receives a good watering within the first 10-14 days of the application being applied.
It is always a good idea to consult with a lawn care professional and ask any questions you may have. Look around, ask friends or family, and research companies on the Better Business Bureau to find a company that you can trust.
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