Grass Seed Watering? MD zone 7 (lawns, growing, seeding, lawn)

[selhars]

Do you literally have to water EVERY day? or is every OTHER day OK?

I just had the yard aerated and over seeded yesterday...and watered yesterday evening. (about 20 minutes each spot with a fan sprinkler)

I know the ground should stay moist not soaked or muddy and the answer may depend on how long the water is 'absorbed,' but .....

My question is: if the ground is still moist the day after watering (like it is now) do I still need to water again that second day in a row? It's still most now at 11a.m., after watering between 5 and 8 last night.

Temps here for the next days are 86 today, then 94 tomorrow, 89, 84, 81 -- with no rain until MAYBE Monday.

I will water every day if I have to but don't want to OVER water. (was told seed will rot). I don't have any standing water issues, but clearly the ground is moist from last evening's watering)

My watering takes HOURS to hit all the spots. I need to put the sprinkler in FOUR different spots for the back yard, and FIVE for the front yard. At 20 minutes each spot that's THREE hours start to finish. If I start watering at 5, the last spot isn't finished until after 8p. Because of my work schedule sometimes I can water in the morning. Sometimes it just has to be midday....mostly it's in the evening though.

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by selhars

Do you literally have to water EVERY day? or is every OTHER day OK?

)))
Usually it's multiple times a day. Of course you may be in a wet and humid pattern right now as we are in the southeast and that should enable you to water less.

(((

Originally Posted by selhars

My question is: if the ground is still moist the day after watering (like it is now) do I still need to water again that second day in a row? It's still most now at 11a.m., after watering between 5 and 8 last night.

)))
SEEDS need to stay moist. Not just the ground.

(((

Originally Posted by selhars

Temps here for the next days are 86 today, then 94 tomorrow, 89, 84, 81 -- with no rain until MAYBE Monday.

)))
You seeded too early. Now you're going to have to be very diligent about watering and you're going to have a lot of weeds.

(((

Originally Posted by selhars

My watering takes HOURS to hit all the spots. I need to put the sprinkler in FOUR different spots for the back yard, and FIVE for the front yard. At 20 minutes each spot that's THREE hours start to finish. If I start watering at 5, the last spot isn't finished until after 8p. Because of my work schedule sometimes I can water in the morning. Sometimes it just has to be midday....mostly it's in the evening though.

)))

Yeah. You're learning that starting a lawn from seed in a hot climate is a P.I.T.A!
You don't water deeply like you would for an established lawn, you just need to keep everything moist and depending on your sprinkler coverage, that should be around 5 or 10 minutes several times a day.

[selhars]

Thanks this is the aerating and overseeding that my lawn care service does every year in my established lawn. They did the seeding. I'm just watering.

I know it's midday. But I won't be home tonight....so I'm watering now. It's now, or not today at all.

Tomorrow I should be able to water in the evening again.

[cittic10]

In the future wait until mid sept once the heat breaks, you'll have an easier time with it.

[selhars]

Thanks. Maybe I'll ask to be among the last on their aeration/seeding schedule.

Although I do like that it's still warm while I'm out there getting wet and moving sprinkler around.
Mid Sept. it is still warm here.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by selhars

Do you literally have to water EVERY day? or is every OTHER day OK?

I just had the yard aerated and over seeded yesterday...and watered yesterday evening. (about 20 minutes each spot with a fan sprinkler)

I know the ground should stay moist not soaked or muddy and the answer may depend on how long the water is 'absorbed,' but .....

My question is: if the ground is still moist the day after watering (like it is now) do I still need to water again that second day in a row? It's still most now at 11a.m., after watering between 5 and 8 last night.

Temps here for the next days are 86 today, then 94 tomorrow, 89, 84, 81 -- with no rain until MAYBE Monday.

I will water every day if I have to but don't want to OVER water. (was told seed will rot). I don't have any standing water issues, but clearly the ground is moist from last evening's watering)

My watering takes HOURS to hit all the spots. I need to put the sprinkler in FOUR different spots for the back yard, and FIVE for the front yard. At 20 minutes each spot that's THREE hours start to finish. If I start watering at 5, the last spot isn't finished until after 8p. Because of my work schedule sometimes I can water in the morning. Sometimes it just has to be midday....mostly it's in the evening though.

It sounds like you are watering very heavily. That is what you are supposed to do for established lawns but it is not necessary to saturate the ground for growing new grass. It is more important to just water enough to keep the seed moist. It is best to water early in the day.