A lawn is typically one large area of land planted with grass, so it's easy to maintain and water using sprinkler systems. However, if you have pathways and driveways with narrow, split-up, or irregular-shaped grass, watering them can be a challenge.
We did some research and found several ways to water a narrow strip of grass. Here's how:
You can use gardening tools or DIY an irrigation system to water a thin strip of grass. Here are some ideas you can try:
- Use a spike sprinkler
- Use a soaker hose
- DIY using empty plastic bottles
- DIY using PVC pipes
Read below for detailed instructions on how to DIY and set up irrigation systems for narrow strips of grass. With that said, let's dive right into this article!
How Do You Water A Narrow Strip Of Grass?
Garden paths, driveways, and walkways sometimes have narrow strips of grass separate from the main lawn, which is often neglected because it is not within the range of sprinkler systems.
You don't want to put it in range of the sprinklers because the water might soak the driveways or pathways, making them slippery and prone to moss growth.
Surely you also don't want to lug around a garden house across the lawn or carry a heavy watering can. So, is there a more efficient way to water a narrow strip of grass?
Fortunately, our research found several ways you can do it.
Use A Spike Sprinkler
A spike sprinkler is a garden accessory attached to the end of a garden hose. It has a spike that is pushed into the ground at your desired location to anchor it.
The top of the sprinkler has a little hole; as you open the top, the slit gets wider, and a strip of water comes out. You can adjust the slit width to your preferred water angle.
Also, you can adjust the water flow to fully control the distance where the water will shoot out.
Check out this highly recommended adjustable spike sprinkler below:
View this adjustable lawn sprinkler on Amazon.
To use a spike sprinkler, here's what to do:
- Attach the sprinkler nozzle to the end of a garden hose
- Push the spike on the ground
- Open the hose and adjust the flow of the water coming out of the sprinkler
There are also other sprinkler heads you can use depending on your needs.
You can try a ring sprinkler if you're watering a small square patch of grass or a spot sprinkler that can shoot water several feet away. Each has different water output angles.
Here's a helpful video on how different types of sprinklers work:
Use A Soaker Hose
A soaker hose has pores where water gradually seeps out and irrigates the surrounding area. You can use soaker hoses as a drip irrigation system for gardens and lawns.
This is the ideal solution if you don't want water shooting up and spraying water across your pathways. You need to lay down the hose across the length of the narrow strip of grass, and it will water its surrounding area.
See this Linex 12" x 15 ft drip hose on Amazon.
To use a soaker hose, here's what to do:
- Lay out the hose across the lawn
- Attach the water faucet adaptor to the hose
- Turn on the faucet and check the length of the hose to see if water is seeping out properly
You can attach a flow regulator if you want to regulate the flow on your soaker hose. This accessory helps regulate the volume of water dispersed on the hose.
Check out this video below on how to use a soaker hose:
DIY Irrigation System
If you can't find anything online that fits your requirements and want to save money simultaneously, you can DIY your irrigation system.
This way, you can customize it according to your lawn's needs.
1. Use Empty Plastic Bottles
You can create an irrigation system for your lawn using just your garden hose, an empty plastic bottle, and a few tools. You can make a garden sprinkler or use the drip technique.
- Garden sprinkler - Punch holes in an empty bottle and attach the orifice to a garden hose. Place the bottle on the strip of grass you want to water and open the valve.
- Drip irrigation - Connect a water bottle to a self-watering spike. Make several of these and place them on strategic areas of the narrow lawn.
See this automatic self-watering device on Amazon.
The drip technique is beneficial if you must go on a vacation and leave the house for quite some time. It will keep your lawn soil moist until you get back.
Below is a simple instruction on how to make a garden sprinkler using a plastic bottle. Once you get the idea, you can customize the placement of the holes to meet your lawn requirements.
2. Use PVC Pipes
You can customize your own sprinkler system using PVC pipes, a sprinkler head, and some tools.
Here's how to do it:
- Prepare your materials: Two long PVC pipes, sprinkler heads, thread extenders, PVC tee connectors, hose connectors, hacksaw, pipe caps, sandpaper, PVC primer, PVC glue, and thread tape.
- Cut out two pieces of 2 feet and one piece of a 1-foot section from one of the PVC pipes.
- Sand the inside and outside edges of the cut PVC pipes.
- Fit the PVC tee connector on one end of the long PVC pipe.
- On both ends of the tee connector, attach the 2-foot pipes, forming a 'T.' This will help keep the pipe stable.
- Place a cap on the ends of the 2-foot pipes to close them and prevent water from escaping.
- From the base of the T, measure one foot down and cut the long pipe.
- Place a tee connector between the cut part with the open hole facing upward.
- Connect the sprinkler head to the open slot of the tee connector.
- Another tee connector fits on the other end of the long PVC pipe.
- Place the 1-foot PVC on the other end and the sprinkler head on the open hole facing upward.
- Once you've built the structure, disassemble it again and use a PVC primer and glue to secure everything in its place.
- Use thread tape on the sprinkler heads to secure them.
- Connect it to a hose and adjust the water flow.
Below is a video on how to make a sprinkler sled you can use for a narrow path of grass:
If you've seen the video, you will see that you can easily move the sled sprinkler around and can cover the area with a narrow strip of grass.
How Much Time Does It Take To Water A Lawn 1/2 An Inch?
A well-established lawn needs watering twice a week. It will need about 1-1.5 inches of water over a single watering to ensure the ground has enough moisture to nourish the grass for a couple of days.
While watering, how do you know how much water the ground has already soaked? You can use a rain or sprinkler gauge to know this. See the product below if you don't know what it looks like.
View this Taylor Precision rain/sprinkler gauge on Amazon.
If you're using a sprinkler or a soaker hose to water your grass, you will need to leave it for around 15 minutes to put 1/2 inch of water on the lawn.
Of course, this depends on how you set your water flow and the volume of water coming out of the hose. But in most cases, 15 to 20 minutes should suffice for half an inch of water.
Is It Better To Water Grass In The Morning Or At Night?
Like any other plant, watering your lawn is best every morning before 10 a.m. Around this time, the wind is calmer, so it won't quickly dry up the water, and the temperature is much cooler, so the water won't evaporate easily.
However, if you cannot water your lawn in the morning, the next best time is late afternoon. You want to do this just after the sun has set to early evening, just before the night chill has set in.
Watering the lawn too late at night makes it prone to diseases such as mold and fungus.
To Finish Things Up
To wrap things up, you can water a narrow grass strip using a soaker hose or a spike sprinkler. You can also DIY your irrigation system using an empty plastic bottle or PVC pipes.
Thank you very much for reading through. We hope you can use the above tips to irrigate your narrow strip of lawn.
We have many more helpful readings on lawn care and maintenance, so browse our site for more tips.
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