Watering the lawn in drought not as easy as simply turning on sp - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Eau Claire (WQOW) - The combination of heat and the lack of rain have some homeowners paying more attention to their lawns. Local lawn experts say simply hooking up a sprinkler and turning on the water isn't enough to keep your grass green in this kind of weather. Adding fertilizer and knowing how much water your lawn needs are both important. They say one of the most common mistakes people make is assuming that watering can be done at any time.

"Watering in the evening is probably the absolute worst time to water. If you water in the evening, the soil stays moist all night long, the turf stays moist all night long, it's just a great spot for insects and disease to happen," said Wayne Bollinger, President of Greener Grass Systems.

Instead, its best to water your lawn right before the sun comes up so it has time to sink in. Most lawns require about 1 inch of water per week. According to the national weather service, in the last 6 weeks Eau Claire has received just four and a half inches of rain.