NJ Lawns Community

Paramus NJ here - first year in my house and I am getting crushed by my water bill. It jumped $120 THIS MONTH because I've been running my sprinklers daily trying to keep my KBG green. I water every single morning at 6am and it's still turning brown in spots. My wife thinks I'm crazy but I literally cannot afford this. What am I doing wrong?? I thought that's what you were supposed to do - water every day. Someone please tell me there's a better way because I can't keep going like this.

Yikes dude - you're watering WAY too much AND at the wrong time. Daily watering is almost guaranteed to kill your wallet and possibly your grass if you're in clay soil which half of Paramus definitely has. Set your sprinkler to run 2-3 times per week, MAX, and do it early morning (5-6am) to reduce evaporation. Look up the "watering deeply not frequently" rule - you're supposed to give your lawn 1-1.5 inches of water PER WEEK, divided into 2-3 sessions. That means about 20-30 minutes per zone depending on your sprinkler head output. Go to any irrigation supply place in the area and ask them to do a catch can test on your system.

Agreed with Ivan - you're actually hurting your KBG by overwatering. Daily watering creates shallow roots which makes grass dependent on you and unable to handle any stress. KBG actually has pretty deep roots when properly maintained. Try this instead: water 2 days a week, maybe Tuesday and Friday, and really soak it. Aim for about 1 inch of water weekly total. Also - get a rain sensor on your system if you don't have one. I see so many sprinklers running during rainstorms in Ridgewood and Glen Rock. Check if you have a Hunter Rain-Clik, they work great.

Not to pile on but...yeah daily is brutal. My neighbor in Wyckoff did the same thing last summer and his bill was wild. He ended up hiring a company to redo his irrigation with smart controllers that adjust based on weather. They put in a Hunter Pro-C or Rain Bird something-or-other that skips watering when it rained. Cost him like $800 installed but he's saving probably $150+ per month now. Might be worth talking to someone at SiteOne in Saddle River - they're solid for parts and advice. Your grass will be fine if you back off, KBG is tougher than people think once it's established.

Wow okay I had NO idea. I literally thought more water = greener. So basically water twice a week, deeper soak, and use a rain sensor? What about the brown spots - is that dead grass or can it come back? My lawn looks pretty patchy right now. Should I aerate or something? Got no idea what I'm doing honestly.

Brown spots could be a few things - could be compaction if you've got clay (most of Paramus does), could be grubs, could just be stressed grass. Core aeration in fall OR spring helps massively with KBG in our soil type. You're in loam/clay so aeration is your friend. Hit up Horizon Farm & Garden in Hackensack or any of the big box stores - they rent aerators. While you're at it, get a soil test done through Rutgers coop extension - I think it's like $20. Keeps you from guessing about fertilizer too.

Also check your sprinkler heads - I've seen SO many messed up ones in new developments around here. Heads get knocked off by mowers, buried under mulch, whatever. If you have some zones putting out way more or less than others that'll explain uneven brown spots. Shoot me a message if you want help troubleshooting - I'm in the area fairly often.