Most grasses take on a dull purplish cast and leaf blades begin to fold or roll. Grass under drought stress also shows evidence of tracks after someone walks across the lawn. Common bermuda grass lawns can go 5 to 7 days or longer between waterings without loss of quality .
Early morning is considered the best time to water.
The wind is usually calm and the temperature is low so less water is lost to evaporation. The worst time to water is late evening because the lawn stays wet all night, making it more susceptible to disease. For soils high in clay, an inch of water is usually necessary to wet the soil to the desired depth. If waterings are too light or too frequent the lawn may become weak and shallow-rooted, which in turn makes it more susceptible to stress injury. Use the following steps to determine the amount of water your sprinkler or sprinkler system puts out and check its distribution pattern at the same time.