Other signs of excess water include moss growing in the lawn or flowerbeds, mushrooms appearing everywhere except in the spinach salad and a musty odor coming from the soil says Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension horticulturalist. Plants that are over-watered develop a shallow root system and are more susceptible to root rot, iron chlorosis and other problems, he says. Watering everyday is too much and too often, regardless of the type of soil. Lawns look like they are dying sometimes because they have been babied and pampered their whole lives. The roots have never had to establish themselves deeper into the soil because water has always been available near the surface.
Plants grow roots to reach the water that sustains their life.
I have seen a landscape planted in a sandy, gravelly soil that is only watered every four or five days and the lawn looks great. The grass roots have been trained to grow deeper to allow for longer periods of time between watering. Weaning grass off of a heavy watering habit may take a little patience and time but will be worth it in the long run, Goodspeed explains. Set five or six straight-sided cans in a random pattern on the lawn, then turn on the sprinklers for 15 minutes. Next, measure the amount of water found in each can, and calculate the average per can.