How Is Over-Irrigation Damaging to Soil? Here’s How to Stop It From Killing Your Lawn

You’ve been ultra-diligent about watering your lawn to make sure it grows thick and healthy, but for some reason, it still doesn’t look quite right. As it turns out, you could be overwatering it—and, in the process, harming the soil underneath it. So, how is over-irrigation damaging to soil? Here’s what to know.

How Overwatering Damages Soil

Overwatering is harmful to your soil and can lead to a number of issues, including nutrient loss, increased soil salinity (saltiness), soil compaction, and plant disease. Here’s why these spell trouble for your yard. 

1. Nutrient Loss

Plants’ active root zones can only hold a certain amount of water. Over-irrigating can overwhelm the roots, eventually causing the plants to lose water and essential nutrients (including nitrogen) that they need to grow.

2. Increased Soil Salinity

Over-irrigation forces the ground to absorb more water than it can handle. As a result, the water table rises, and more salt reaches the plants’ active root zones. As the plants soak up the water, they’ll leave the salt behind in the soil. This can negatively affect future plant health because it’s harder for plants to absorb water in super salty soil.

3. Soil Compaction

Using too much water can compact your soil and limit the amount of oxygen it receives, which can threaten your plants’ health. While aerating your lawn is a good way to break up compacted soil, it might not work if you’re significantly overwatering.

4. Plant Diseases

In compacted soil, it’s harder for oxygen to reach the plant roots. Combine that with the excess moisture from over-irrigation, and you’ve got a breeding ground for plant diseases. The saturated soil and lack of oxygen can lead to root rot, which can weaken and kill plants of all sizes.

Common Signs of Over-Irrigation

So, how do you know if you have soil damage due to overwatering? Here are a few common signs: 

• Runoff into your drainage system, neighborhood storm drain, or neighboring properties

• Spongy patches or standing water in your yard

• Increase in weeds (especially varieties that thrive in nutrient-deprived or soggy soil, such as crabgrass, dandelions, and dock)

• Reduced crop yields

• High water bills

Tips for Preventing Over-Irrigation

Overwatering isn’t just bad for your lawn. It’s also bad for the environment and your wallet. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to prevent over-irrigation and save your plants.

1. Install a Sprinkler or Drip Irrigation System

To water more efficiently, consider installing a sprinkler system or drip irrigation system. Both systems run automatically and can be customized to provide more or less water to individual areas, depending on what’s in each section. Contact a local sprinkler repair pro to install one.

On average, installing a sprinkler system costs $1,600 to $3,600, which includes multiple sprinkler heads and irrigation zones. Installing a ground-level drip irrigation system costs $200 to $850.

2. Water Less Frequently

If you already have an irrigation system, adjust the settings to water less often. For example, if your automatic sprinkler system currently runs for an hour three times per week, change it to run for an hour twice per week.

3. Use a Soil Moisture Meter

With this tool, you can monitor your soil’s moisture level and change your watering schedule based on its findings. You’ll pay around $10 for a basic model or over $200 for one with advanced features, like smartphone connectivity. 

4. Build a Drainage System

Yard drainage systems are designed to divert excess water away from a particular area (for instance, your lawn or garden) into a place better suited to absorb it. There are many ways to set up a drainage system, with some popular options including dry creek beds, French drains, and rain gardens.