Stop throwing away money with poor irrigation habits.

It’s easy to be lazy about watering techniques in the yard, but consider what that might be costing you.

Irrigation is the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth, according to Merriam-Webster. Whether you’re keeping your grass green and alive or helping your garden to flourish, how we water makes a difference.

Carrying buckets of water from one location to another was probably the earliest form of irrigation. Eventually, societies in Egypt and China began building irrigation canals, dams, and water storage facilities, while ancient Rome built aqueducts and pipes to carry water, according to National Geographic. 

When it comes to your yard, though, drip irrigation is considered one of the most efficient methods of irrigation, according to National Geographic. Drip irrigation is essentially a system to allow water to drop onto plants through holes in a type of pipe. This practice focuses the water on the plant versus other methods that can lose water to evaporation.

Evaporation is at its highest during the summer months, making July the perfect month to be designated Smart Irrigation Month.

The cost of watering a lawn, of course, depends on the cost of water in a region, how much grass one has, and how much water is used.

There are some good general rules to help make irrigation practices smarter.

Most lawns need one to one and a half inches of water a week, according to Forbes. Too frequent watering will create shallow root systems.

The best time to water grass is between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. because you avoid losing water to evaporation, according to Forbes. Watering at night can cause the water to pool and increase the chance of lawn diseases. 

Check a rain gage before watering. If it’s rained one and a half inches, there’s no need to water that week. 

Also, take note of what the grass is doing. Curled or bent grass blade tips indicate the grass needs more moisture, according to Forbes. If walking across the lawn generates footprints that stay, that can indicate thirsty grass. Grass that is well-hydrated will bounce back into position. 

Watering whenever you feel like it doesn’t benefit your wallet or your greenery. Take the time to water smarter, so you’re not wasting water or money.