"Pete Stephenson" wrote in message
news
In article TjdHc.46659$Oq2.39678@attbi_s52,
"Pam - gardengal" wrote:

Pete, most lawn grasses in the PNW are a blend of cool season grasses
that
do best in our climate. 'Cool season' is a key - these are grasses that
want
to go dormant during the heat of summer. Water is an extremely valuable
(and
expensive) resource here in WA state and I would encourage you to allow
the
lawns to go dormant if at all possible - attempting to maintain a large
expanse of lush green lawn through the heat and dryness of our summers
is
often an exercise in futility, not to mention a huge drain on one's
pocketbook, paying premium rates for water. The lawn will green up
rapidly
once cooler temps and fall rains resume.

Hmm...sounds good.

If maintaining the greenness is essential, the lawn will need one inch
of
water per week, preferably delivered in one or two significant waterings
rather than daily small doses. If puddling occurs, it is an indication
you
need to aerate the lawn so that the water will percolate well down into
the
root zone. And don't mow too short - too tight a cut exposes roots to
too
much sun and further dries out the lawn, as well as allowing the
germination
of weeds.

Alas, as I mentioned, I'm in the army...and logic and reason (as well as
efficiency) have no bearing whatsoever. I have been instructed to
maintain this lawn, and doggone it, I will.

Is there any way to calculate the approximate watering time necessary to
lay down an inch of water per week? For instance, would two hours with a
standard impact sprinkler (40ft radius) with good water pressure put
down an inch of water? I could go out there and put some cans down to
measure, but I'm just looking for an approximate value. I have some
faucet timers, so I don't go overboard and leave the lawns soaked and
waste a ton of water if I forget to turn off the faucets.

No, not without consulting the manufacturer or the packaging the sprinklers
came in.
I recently purchased a couple impulse sprinklers from Lowes.
I bought a gilmour sprinkler that advertised 5800 sq.ft coverage (80' diam)
and puts down 1/4" of water in 3 hours. I also bought one of their large
models that covers 8500 sq.ft (100' diam.) and puts down 1/4" of water in 2
hours.
FYI, lawns need aprox 1 inch of water a week to keep from going dormant
during the warm dry season.
good luck,

I'm just trying to get this done as best I can in the most efficient
manner possible. That is proving to be rather difficult, as I'm not a
gardening expert.

pam - gardengal
WA state

--
Pete Stephenson
HeyPete.com