What’s ½” of irrigation?

January 5, 2021 | Expert answer by: Jerry Somalski

Q. The lawn fertilizer I just bought says to water it in well with ½” of irrigation. What does that mean? How do I know when I’ve hit ½”?

A. A ½” of irrigation is when lawn sprinklers are run until a coffee mug (or several mugs) fills to a level ½” up from the bottom of the cup. If you don’t want to use a coffee mug, an empty tin of tuna, pet food, or other short can works well too.

See Related Questions

  • All Topics
  • bark damage
  • border shrubs
  • brown needles
  • cottony maple scale
  • curled leaves
  • deer resistant plants
  • forsythia
  • frost cracks
  • fungal disease
  • Japanese Maple
  • lawn problems
  • leaf disease
  • maple
  • Maple Tar Spot
  • mulch
  • perennials
  • planting
  • pruning
  • rejuvenation pruning
  • rodent damage
  • screening plants
  • spruce
  • thinning
  • when to prune
  • winter damage
  • Yew

Garden Bed Weed Control Tips

aquapots

How to winterize AquaPots

aquapots
Curling Leaves

Small maple tree problem

Curling Leaves,  Japanese Maple,  Maple,  maple tree
Hydrangeas

Why aren’t my hydrangeas flowering?

Hydrangeas
Forsythia

When should you prune multi-stemmed flowering shrubs?

Forsythia,  Pruning
Forsythia

When should you prune forsythia?

Forsythia,  Pruning
Forsythia

Can all shrubs be pruned hard the same way as forsythia?

Forsythia,  Pruning
Forsythia

How do I prune an overgrown forsythia?

Forsythia,  Pruning
Brown Needles

Why are the needles on my spruce turning brown and dropping?

Brown Needles,  Fungal Disease,  Spruce
Pests

What’s causing winter damage to the base of my trees and shrubs?

Pests,  Plant Damage,  Winter Damage
Frost Cracks

What should I do about a frost crack on my tree?

Frost Cracks,  Winter Damage
Frost Cracks

How can I prevent frost cracks?

Frost Cracks,  Winter Damage
Frost Cracks

Are some trees more likely to develop frost cracks than others?

Frost Cracks,  Winter Damage
Frost Cracks

What does a frost crack look like?

Frost Cracks,  Winter Damage
Frost Cracks

What’s that loud, shotgun-like sound from my yard during winter nights?

Frost Cracks,  Winter Damage
Deer Resistant Plants

Deer-resistant evergreen shrubs for screening

Deer Resistant Plants,  screening plants
Fungal Disease

White fluffy balls on maple trees

Fungal Disease,  Maple
Grubs

What’s causing bare spots in my lawn?

Grubs,  Lawns,  Pests
Pruning

How to prune yews

Pruning,  Yew
Landscape Tips

How to mulch around a new tree

Landscape Tips,  Mulch
Perennials

Best time to plant perennials

Perennials,  Planting
Curling Leaves

Why does my Japanese Maple have dry, curled leaves?

Curling Leaves,  Dry Leaves,  Japanese Maple,  Maple
Fungal Disease

Black spots on maple leaves

Fungal Disease,  Leaf Disease,  Maple

Answer Provided By ...

Jerry Somalski

Jerry is a Landscape Designer, Project Manager, and the President of Bay Landscaping. He began learning about plants and landscape design as a young boy, hoeing in the family nursery and tagging along with the landscape crews who taught him the tools and methods of the trade. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Central Michigan University, he returned to the family business. Jerry has an enthusiastic yet practical approach to landscape design, focused on choosing the right plants (ones that thrive in the mid-Michigan climate) for the right place to create sustainable and spectacular landscapes. He loves to share what he knows with gardeners throughout Michigan! Learn more about Jerry >>