What to Look For

• Lawns deprived of water for extended periods look bluish-gray, or darker than normal; they have wilting, rolling or folding leaves and maintain footprints long after walked on.
  
  

How Much to Water

• The University of Illinois Extension recommends that cool-season grasses receive approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week. Warm-season grasses generally need less. Allowing mild drought stress--such as some wilting or leaf folding--increases rooting, which makes the lawn more resistant to water deprivation as it establishes. The exception is a newly seeded or sodded lawn, which you should keep moist.
  
  

When to Water

• The University of Illinois Extension recommends watering in the early morning when the lawn is still wet from dew. Watering midday during hot, dry weather results in a loss of as much as 30 percent of the water, according to Clemson University.