NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, I'm brand new to this whole lawn thing and really need some help. Just bought my first house in Hackensack near Prospect Ave and the previous owner left me with a decent-looking lawn but I'm totally lost on watering. It's a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass from what the realtor told me. My question is: how long should I actually run my sprinklers each time? I've got a basic underground system with pop-up heads but I have no idea if I'm overwatering or underwatering. My neighbor just said 'water it a lot' which wasn't super helpful lol. Weeds are already starting to pop up in some spots and I'm worried I'm doing something wrong. Any advice for a complete Noob? Thanks in advance!

Welcome to lawn ownership! Don't stress too much - you'll get the hang of it. For your KBG/Ryegrass mix, you're looking at about 1-1.5 inches of water per week total, including rainfall. That usually means running your system 2-3 times per week, not daily. Daily watering is actually one of the biggest mistakes beginners make - it encourages shallow root growth and invites fungus. With pop-ups, I'd aim for 20-30 minutes per zone in the early morning (6-8am is ideal). Do a simple tuna can test - put empty cans around your lawn, run the sprinklers for 15 minutes, then measure the water depth. That'll tell you your precipitation rate and let you adjust accordingly. Water deeply but infrequently - you want those roots going DOWN, not staying shallow. Once your lawn is established (year 2-3), you can back off even more.

Ivan nailed it on the deep watering. The tuna can test is legit - I did that my first summer at my place in Ridgefield Park and it was a game changer. One thing I'd add - make sure your mower blades are SHARP. Dull blades tear grass instead of cutting it, and torn grass stresses the plants and makes them need more water. I sharpen mine every 2-3 cuts using a basic file from Home Depot. Takes 5 minutes max. Also agree on the morning watering - I used to water at night when I first started and got some brown patch fungus issues. Problem solved once I switched to early AM.

Quick add-on to Mike's point about morning watering - you DEFINITELY want to avoid wet grass overnight. Fungal diseases love that scenario, especially here in Bergen County where we get those humid summer nights. @LawnLover - maybe also check your sprinkler heads aren't clogged or misaligned. Had a client on the east side of Hackensack last month who thought he was underwatering turns out half his heads weren't popping up at all. Walk your system while it's running once to check everything is working. For the weeds showing up - that's normal for a new lawn. Hit them now with a post-emergent before they spread. Tenacity is good for broadleaf weeds but read the label for your grass type compatibility.

Wow thank you both @IrrigationIvan and @MowerMike! This is way more helpful than what I was getting elsewhere. So let me make sure I've got this right: - 2-3 times per week, NOT daily - 20-30 min in early morning (before 8am) - Do the tuna can test to calibrate - Check my sprinkler heads aren't busted That sounds doable. I was definitely overwatering - I was running them every day for about 15 min. No wonder I had mushrooms popping up lol. Can I ask one more question - what about fertilizing? Should I be doing that now in late May or wait until fall? The guy at the garden center in Garfield wanted me to buy this big bag of Scott's but I didn't know if it was the right time.

Haha yeah no wonder you had mushrooms - that's a classic overwatering sign! For fertilizer - I'd actually hold off until fall for the heavy feeding. Late May/early June is fine for a light application if your lawn is looking hungry, but the real deal should be around Labor Day (September) when temps cool down. KBG and ryegrass both respond really well to fall fertilization. If you want to do something now, just keep it light. Something with slow-release nitrogen is better than quick-release to prevent burning in the summer heat. Avoid the high-nitrogen stuff until fall.