Healthy lawns that have been allowed to go dormant will green up again when the turf receives sufficient water. Gardeners who want a green lawn throughout the summer should water the lawn when symptoms of moisture stress begin to develop but before the grass becomes dormant. A good indicator of water stress in turfgrass is leaf color. The normally green leaves become a dull blue- green. Additionally, water-stressed turfgrass is less resilient.
Footprints remain in the turf after walking across it.
The actual amount of water required depends upon the soil type and weather conditions. When irrigating turfgrass, the general rule of thumb is to water deeply but infrequently. Watering deeply promotes the development of deep root systems. The best time to water a lawn is early morning. Winds are generally light and temperatures cool so little water is lost through evaporation.