What is the Best Way to Water a 1 Acre Lawn?

April 4, 2018

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4 Best Ways to Water a 1 Acre Lawn

If you have a house or a piece of property that has at least a 1 acre lawn, you know first hand that can be a big pain to water. Today, I am going to go over the 4 best ways to water a 1 acre lawn. Each way has its pros and cons, so when you are done reading, I am sure that you will decide what is the best way to water a 1 acre lawn for yourself.

Best Way to Water a 1 Acre Lawn
wide lawn yard with water sprinklers

1. Long Hose and Sprinkler

The cheapest way to water a 1 acre lawn is to just get a long hose and a decent sprinkler. What you do is divide your lawn up in 4-8 sections. How long do you need to leave the sprinkler in one spot? Water each section for 20-30 minutes so 1/2 inch of water is applied to each section. Do this 2 times a week. You could also water each section for an hour so 1 inch of water is applied to each section. You would only do this method once a week. Your goal is to apply an inch of water to your lawn each week. The drawback to this method is that it takes all day to water your lawn!! Some people (like myself) enjoy doing this kind of yard work, but others don't want to water their lawns all day.

Pros:

  • Very inexpensive
  • You get exercise!
  • You have control over how much water you use

Cons:

  • Time-consuming
  • You have to keep moving the sprinkler

2. Traveling/Tractor Sprinklers and long hose(s)

Of the 4 ways that I am going to cover today, this is my favorite. It does have its drawbacks, though. What you do is purchase a couple of traveling/tractor sprinklers and a couple of 200 ft hoses. Then, hook up the sprinklers to the hoses. These sprinklers are self-propelled!!!! They also have different pattern settings and speed controls, so this may take you a couple of tries before you get this right. Some of the traveling/tractor sprinklers even have an automatic shut off so you don't have to worry about forgetting about them! Most of these sprinklers come with a warranty, so if you use them a lot and they break, you have your warranty to fall back on.

Pros:

  • Fairly inexpensive
  • Self-propelled sprinklers
  • Only have to move the sprinklers a couple of times

Cons:

  • Doesn't do well with sharp turns
  • Learning curve

Here is a great video showing how the traveling sprinkler works!

3. In-Ground, Permanent Sprinklers

Even though I personally have never used this method, it looks like it has potential. It looks like it takes a little more work in the beginning, but if it works properly, it may be a winner for you. This method involves dividing up your yard and burying a sprinkler in each section. It looks like there is very minimal digging. You then hook a hose up to the sprinkler, hook up a timer, turn the water on and let it go. You can either purchase another hose to use in another section or unhook the hose from the sprinkler and hook it up to a different sprinkler. I have heard of people burying 4-6 sprinklers and using 2 long hoses to water their lawn! They just keep changing hoses when each section is done.

Pros:

  • Fairly inexpensive
  • Easy to install
  • The sprinklers go down so you can mow over the top of them

Cons:

  • Sometimes they leak

Here is a great video on how these work:

4. Underground Sprinkler System

This is by far the most expensive method of the 4. Depending if you are going to do the work yourself, these can cost up to $15,000. If you do it yourself, you could probably cut the cost in half. If you can afford an underground sprinkler system, this may be the method for you. It involves digging trenches in your yard to install the pipes and the rest of the system. They also come with a lot of bells and whistles that make watering your lawn easier. I have seen them come with a rain gauge that tells you to turn off the system when there is enough rain to do the job. Although I have never installed one of these by myself, I have seen it done and it involves a lot of work. I would personally have the company that you purchase the underground sprinkler system from install it. I would also check reviews on that company. Make sure that they stand by their work.

Pros: 

  • Makes watering very easy
  • Programmable
  • Conserves water
  • You have total control of the amount of water you use

Cons:

  • Very expensive
  • A big job to install
  • If pipe leaks, you need to dig back up

So, what is the best way to water a 1-acre lawn? I hope one of my top 4 ways to water a 1-acre lawn will work for you. Please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks again!!!

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