Lawn Watering Tips for Denver, CO
Denver, the capital of Colorado, is home to stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, 3-time Super Bowl Champs the Denver Broncos, and world-famous music venue Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Known for snowy winters and sunny summers, navigating a year-round lawn care schedule can seem overly complicated. Follow our guide, and you’ll be prepared to grow a lush, healthy lawn that’s bound to earn you praise across the neighborhood!
For more localized watering tips, visit our growing list of regional best practices to discover how to achieve the healthy, greenest lawn of your dreams anywhere in the US.
List of Tips
No matter where you live, the main factors to consider when structuring your lawn care routine remain the same. Climate, grass and soil types, time of day to water, and watering guidelines all play a part. It may seem daunting, especially when first establishing grass, but this guide will give you the knowledge and confidence to grow your dream lawn! We will also summarize the watering restrictions in Denver.
Smart irrigation systems like Irrigreen are committed to reducing excess water usage while automating the watering process. Weather monitoring, precision watering patterns, and soil moisture calculation brings ease to lawn care and can even lower your monthly water bill.
Best Time of Day to Water Grass in Denver
One of the most important things to consider when taking care of your lawn is timing. The early morning is the best time of the day to start your watering schedule. During the watering season, May-October, temperatures rise quickly. It is best practice to water outside of direct sunlight. Choose a cooler time of the day, like early morning or around sunset. Experts recommend setting your irrigation system to run between the hours of 5am-9am so your lawn has time to fully absorb water throughout the time and dry out just enough prior to the next watering event.
Worst Time of Day to Water Grass in Denver
The worst time of day to water your lawn in The Mile High City is midday, as this is often the warmest time of day when water can quickly evaporate before your grass and soil can fully absorb the moisture. This will prevent your lawn from getting enough hydration and lead to overwatering, contributing to water waste and increasing your monthly water bill. 1pm-4pm are typically the hottest hours of the day, but watering between 10am-6pm is actually prohibited across the city. Additionally, watering during rain or strong windy periods is not permitted.
How Long to Water a Lawn in Denver - Restrictions, Guidelines, and Seasonal Changes
Like many highly-populated cities across the US, water restrictions have been put into place and are always evolving to help locals conserve this vital resource. Denver Water’s website is a great source to regularly check for updates regarding rules for water usage.
In Denver, the watering season is in effect from May 1 to October 1.
Watering between 10am and 6pm is prohibited due to this being the warmest part of the day and water will quickly evaporate before fully hydrating your lawn. In some cities across the country, cities will assign homeowners specific watering days based on home address numbers. Denver does not enforce any assigned watering days, but does limit how many days per week sprinklers can run. Watering more than 3 days per week is not permitted, but it is not necessary to water more than 2 or 3 days when evenly distributing water fall from your sprinkler system. The city of Denver penalizes water waste that oversprays onto concrete, asphalt, pooling in gutters or alleyways. Precision sprinkler brands like Irrigreen make it possible to water only the exact shape of your landscape, avoiding sidewalks or other obstructions in the path of traditional in-ground sprinklers.
The average amount of water needed per week during the watering season ranges from 1-1.5” per week, including rainfall in that number. We will further detail specific watering tips based on the different types of grass common throughout Denver, but the range of 1-1.5” is a general rule to follow.
From October to April, watering trees and shrubs as needed is allowed. During this time of year, sprinkler systems should be winterized. Winterization guides can be found online, but this process requires you to drain your system or blow out all of the water to prevent underground pipes from freezing.
Best Grass Types for Denver
Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most popular cool-season grasses to plant in the US. It provides a thick turf across your property with a beautiful shade of emerald green! Choosing Kentucky bluegrass is a good choice for properties in Denver because of how cold-resistant the grass is. During the summer, this grass requires quite a bit of maintenance, as it is not considered heat-tolerant and requires 1.5” of water per week. Investing into a smart irrigation controller can automate the watering process and simplify any water adjustments needed. Sticking with the maintenance requirements pays off in the long run, though, because Kentucky bluegrass recovers nicely each season the more you commit to regular watering, mowing, and fertilizing. Totally worth it!
Buffalograss is a warm-season grass that is native to the US, Canada, and Mexico and is popular in the southern states. Colorado can be classified as a transition zone, which means the climate is able to support the growth of both cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses. Choosing buffalograss is best if you are conscientious about water usage. The care needed for this species of grass aligns well with Denver watering restrictions. Typically, buffalograss only needs .5” every week. It’s best to water 1” every-other week, as buffalograss thrives with infrequent, deep waterings. If planting buffalograss, make sure your lawn can get up to 6 hours of direct sunlight in the summer. And if properly cared for through the growing season, buffalograss will adapt to the cooler temperatures, although the dormant period begins in early fall.
Water According to Your Soil Type
Being able to water more than once per week allows for some creative watering schedules and further benefits clay and sandy soils alike. Watering in increments is the best way to not over stress your grass or put your soil at risk for fungal disease. The cycle-soaking technique breaks the amount of water needed into fractions, watering a little at a time over the course of a full week.
Clay soil, seen throughout Colorado, is a thick textured, moisture-dense type of soil that needs extra time to fully absorb and properly dry after a watering event. Watering in the early morning lets the soil rest and dry out just enough under the sun, ensuring the grass can enjoy all the nutrients and grow strong roots!
Sandy soil is also common across the state. Deep watering is ideal for sandy soil types as this practice encourages strong root growth. Supplementing this soil with regular fertilization is encouraged. Purdue University recommends fertilizing warm-season grasses in sandy soils 6 times per growing season.
Conclusion and Takeaway
Knowing how much to water, when to water, and the seasonality of lawn maintenance are dependent on local weather patterns, soil type, grass type, and changes in city-wide watering restrictions. In Denver, following these tips and overview of the water usage regulations will help you maintain a green and healthy lawn all year long! The easiest way to step-up your watering game is with smart systems like Irrigreen, which feature digital water spray patterns and weather monitoring software, all controlled from the ease of your smartphone.
