Repeat this procedure until you get the water down to about 6 to 8 inches deep. You can avoid runoff in other ways. One is to use sprinklers that apply water very slowly. The other method is to get rid of thatch, a layer of organic crud that builds up near the surface of a lawn and dramatically slows water penetration. Water in the morning.
Early morning is the best time to water for a number of reasons.
First, the weather is usually cool and calm, humidity is usually high, and water evaporates less. The wind also doesn't blow the water into the neighbor's yard. Second, morning watering gives the lawn a chance to dry off before evening. Wet grass at night can be a disease organism's delight. In other words, some lawn diseases may spread faster if you water just before dark when the lawn doesn't have enough time to dry off before nightfall.