A Complete Guide to Watering Your Lawn in the Summer

The Australian summer can mean different things to different parts of this wide brown land. If you live in the far north, it’s a humid, stormy and sometimes cyclonic time of year. For those in Tasmania’s south, it’s a mild and pleasant few months. But for those in the middle, i.e. most of Australia, the summer months are long, hot, and usually bone dry.

The summer extremes are just as hard on plant life as they are on people. With all plants needing some sort of moisture to survive, it’s vital that lawn owners give their prized turf a helping hand in order to help them through the trying conditions.

The Effects of Drought

While many of Australia’s more popular turfs are extremely drought resistant, even these grasses have their limits. During drought your lawn will suffer what’s known as ‘heat stress’. In the same way that the human body will prioritise its vital organs when exposed to extreme cold, leading to frostbite, so too will your lawn prioritise the wellbeing of its root system, stolons and rhizomes. If it’s not getting enough water it will draw moisture from the blades to keep itself alive.

This process results in a loss of turgidity (the blades brown off). The lack of blade moisture can also result in the grass losing its sponginess, meaning it’s more susceptible to wear and tear. The good news is that while the grass may look as though it’s dead, this self-preservation response will usually mean that the roots are still very healthy, and you may only need to give it one good water for it to bounce right back.

How Often to Water Grass in Summer

Many homeowners wonder how often to water grass in summer. The answer depends on your lawn type and local climate, but most Australian lawns need watering two to three times a week during hot months. Deep, infrequent watering encourages stronger root growth and better drought resistance, helping your lawn stay greener for longer even under harsh sunlight.

How Long to Water Lawn in Summer

Aim for deep, infrequent sessions: typically 20–30 minutes per zone, 2–3 times per week, to deliver about 25–40 mm total. The goal is to soak the root zone, not just the surface. Adjust for your soil type — sandy soils may need shorter, more frequent watering, while clay soils benefit from “cycle-and-soak” methods to prevent runoff.

Let’s start with timing. Summer watering is best done in the early morning. There are two reasons for this. The first is that this is the coolest time of day, so the effects of evaporation will be minimised. The second is that the morning sun will promote photosynthesis while your lawn is enjoying a drink, making it stronger and healthier. Night watering, on the other hand, can result in the moisture stagnating, which heightens the risk of diseases spreading.

How effective is your sprinkler system? For those with in-built sprinklers, ensuring that your system provides good coverage is essential. Without an even spray your lawn will soon develop dead spots and bare patches. One of the simplest ways to test coverage is with catch cups. Lay these cups evenly over your lawn, and turn your sprinklers on for a full cycle. If certain cups collect markedly lower amounts of water than others, or even end up empty, you’ve got some issues with your sprinkler coverage.

Far more lawns die from over-watering than they do from under-watering. This is an important fact to remember, as lawn owners will inevitably believe that too much water is a better option than not enough. By tempering the amount of water you give to your lawn you’ll ensure that it develops a tolerance for dry conditions and will fare better in summers in the future.

Because most of Australia’s popular turfs are extremely drought tolerant, one of the best irrigation procedures is to simply let your lawn tell you when it needs a good water. If you see it start to brown and wilt, give it a good soak and it’ll bounce back in no time!

For any other summer lawn maintenance tips, contact the friendly team at McKays.