Recently, I've seen people watering their lawns. Not just irrigating but letting the water run into the gutter. Should you water your lawn in January or February? This is a tricky question.

So, the question is "Does your lawn need water"?

Even though it has not rained in about a month your lawn may not need water. The water from fog and dew are watering opportunities for the grass.

At this time of the year, your lawn needs very little irrigation. Technically speaking, the evapotranspiration is very, very low. That means that the plant is using and losing very little water. Why is the plant losing and using very little water, you ask? In the winter, the day length is short and the temperature is low.

So, how do you determine if your lawn needs water?

1. An easy method is to walk across your lawn, turn around and look for your footprints. If you see your footprints then you need to irrigate. If you do not see your footprints then you do not need to irrigate.

2. Another method is to take a shovel or trowel and insert it into the ground 2-3 inches. In most cases if it inserts easily the soil is moist. If you want, take a look at the soil. Is it moist?

3. You can use a general month to month lawn watering guide for the Sacramento Valley. It has been developed by the University using years of Et data. Click here for the chart.

4. If you are a science geek and love math, you can calculate the Et for your lawn. Click here to learn about Et.

If your lawn needs water please irrigate it properly for the season. And remember, water on the sidewalk and in the gutter is not watering your lawn.