Took me 4 years to figure out I was overwatering my lawn every single time

Last summer I noticed my grass in Spokane was turning yellow even though I was watering it three times a week. My neighbor walked over and said 'you're drowning it, cut back to one deep soak a week.' I had been doing short sprinkles every other day like I saw on some YouTube video. Turns out shallow watering makes roots stay near the surface and they cook when it gets hot. Anyone else realize they were doing basic yard care completely backwards for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith271d ago

Tried the exact same thing with my ferns in Seattle, watered them every day like they were tropical plants and they just kept browning at the tips. A friend who runs a nursery told me most houseplants actually prefer to dry out completely between waterings and I was basically suffocating the roots. Now I just stick my finger in the soil before I water and it's saved a lot of plant lives in my house.

rowanr881d ago

Stick my finger in the soil" honestly changed everything for me. I used to think more water was always better, like I was being a good plant parent. Now I realize I was just giving my plants root rot and calling it love.

kellyallen17h ago

Wait, did we all just go through the same journey or what? Because I was the absolute worst about this - I'd see my snake plant looking a little sad and just dump a whole cup of water in there, thinking I was saving the day. Turns out I was basically drowning the poor thing for months before I figured it out. Now I poke my finger in the soil of every single plant before I even think about watering and it's like a whole new world opened up. My aloe vera actually started looking happy instead of just surviving, which felt like a miracle. The finger test is honestly the most low tech but life changing hack for anyone who loves plants but doesn't have a green thumb.