IS YOUR LAWN GETTING ENOUGH WATER?
Catch Cups show how much water each part of your lawn gets and whether your sprinklers cover it evenly, so you can set run times that put down 10mm and work toward an even, green lawn.
HOW THE CATCH CUP TEST WORKS
1. PLACE
Scan the code and type your address. We map your lawn and mark where each Catch Cup goes.
2. RUN
Run your sprinklers for 10 minutes. The app times it with you.
3. READ
Enter what each Catch Cup caught. Get your heatmap, your Watering Score out of 100 and the exact minutes each zone needs.
SEE WHERE YOUR
WATER LANDS
The Sward app turns your Catch Cup readings into a heatmap of each zone and the minutes it needs to put down 10mm each time you water. Even watering is the foundation of an even, green lawn.
Am I watering enough?
How much water each part of your lawn really gets, against 10mm each time you water.
Do I have even coverage?
Where your sprinklers overlap and where they miss, so you know what to fix.
Where are the dry spots?
The corners and edges your retic leaves behind, flagged on the heatmap.
STOP PAYING FOR WATER
YOUR LAWN CAN’T USE.
If parts of your lawn get more water than they need, you’re paying for water that runs off or soaks away past the roots. Too much water can do as much harm as too little.
Cut wasted water
Find the zones getting more than they need, and turn them down.
No soggy or dry corners
No soggy patches in one corner and dry spots in another.
The minutes each zone needs
Your results give the minutes each zone needs to reach 10mm.
MEASURE YOUR LAWN
Find out how big your lawn is and how many Catch Cups it needs. Trace it on the satellite map in about 2 minutes.
- Find your place Type your address and the map takes you there.
- Trace your lawn Tap around its edge. You see its size in square metres and the Catch Cups pack that covers it.
- Get 10% off Add your email after your result for a 10% off code. It’s optional.
Free. No email needed to measure.
WHICH PACK DO I NEED?
6
CATCH CUPS
$39.99
BEST FOR
Most backyards
Test one zone at a time and move them between runs.
MOST
POPULAR12
CATCH CUPS
$74.99
BEST FOR
Bigger lawns and busy zones
Cover more sprinklers at once, with fewer moves between runs.
18
CATCH CUPS
$109.99
BEST FOR
Large zones
Test a large zone in one go, with the fewest moves.
Need help finding the best pack? Let’s measure your lawn.
TEST YOUR SOIL TOO
Soil pH changes how easily your lawn and plants can take up nutrients. Getting pH in range lets them use the nutrients they need, and the Sward app tells you the pH your lawn or plant should be and what to use.
WATER & SOIL KIT
From $59.99, or $69.98 if bought separately. Bundle saves $9.99.
Catch Cups and a Soil pH Test Kit in one box.
SHOP
GOOD LAWN STARTS
FROM THE GROUND UP.
Sward builds a lawn plan from your soil and sends everything your lawn needs, year round, ready to hose on. Even watering and soil pH in range are where a thick, green lawn starts.
SEE THE LAWN PLAN
FAQ
What are Catch Cups?
Catch Cups are small clear gauges on a spike that you push into your lawn to measure how much water your sprinklers put on each part of it, like a rain gauge for your retic. Each Catch Cup is marked in millimetres, from 0 to 40mm. Spread them across one zone, run it for 10 minutes, and the readings show which areas get too much water, which miss out and how many minutes the zone needs to put down 10mm. The method is also called a catch can test or sprinkler audit, and it works with retic, a hose or a movable sprinkler.
How many Catch Cups do I need?
One Catch Cup per 12m² is the coverage guide: 6 Catch Cups cover about 70m² in one round, 12 about 145m² and 18 about 215m². Fewer still work: the Sward app can offer another round and shows you where to move them. Measure your lawn to find your pack.
What is a Catch Cup Test?
A Catch Cup Test measures how much water your sprinklers put on each part of your lawn. You place Catch Cups across one zone, run it for 10 minutes, then read what each Catch Cup caught. The Sward app turns the readings into a heatmap, a Watering Score out of 100 and the minutes each zone needs for 10mm. Check your local watering rules before a 10-minute run.
Do Catch Cups work without in-ground sprinklers?
Yes. Catch Cups measure whatever lands on the lawn, so they work with a hose, hand watering, a movable or oscillating sprinkler as well as in-ground pop-ups. They matter even more without fixed sprinklers, because those are the hardest to judge by eye.
How much water does my lawn need?
Most lawns do well with about 10mm each time you water, the same as 10mm of rain: about 20mm a week in the warmer months, two runs of 10mm, and less when it’s cool. In WA, for example, Water Corporation recommends 10mm on each watering day in summer and far less in the cooler months. Watering rules differ around Australia, so check with your local water authority. A Catch Cup Test shows how long each zone takes to put down 10mm.
What does 10mm mean?
10mm is a depth of water, measured the same way as rain: 10mm of watering is the same as 10mm of rain, and it puts 10 litres on every square metre of lawn. To turn it into minutes, run a zone for 10 minutes and read what your Catch Cups caught. If they caught 5mm on average, that zone needs about 20 minutes for 10mm. The Sward app does the sum for every zone.
How long does a Catch Cup Test take?
Each zone runs for 10 minutes while the Catch Cups catch the water, and the Sward app can time it with you. You test one zone at a time, and if a zone comes out uneven, the app may offer one more round to fill the gaps. Check your local watering rules before a 10-minute run.
Do I need the Sward app?
No. Catch Cups work on their own. The Sward app makes the test easier: it marks where each Catch Cup goes, times each run and turns your readings into a heatmap, a Watering Score and a run time for each zone. You do not need an account to run a test.
What pH should my lawn be?
Most lawn grasses grow best at about 6 to 7.5. The Soil pH Test Kit reads from 4.5 to 7.5 in half steps, and the Sward app tells you the pH your lawn should be and what to use if it sits outside that range.
How does the Soil pH Test Kit work?
Scoop, shake, match. Put a little dried soil and a scoop of settling powder in the tube, add the test solution, shake for 5 seconds and stand it for 10 minutes. Then match the clear liquid against the colour chart. Each kit holds 15 tests.
Can I test garden beds, pots and veggie patches?
Yes. Test each garden bed, pot and veggie patch on its own, since different plants like different pH levels. In the Sward app you can search the plants you grow to see the pH each prefers.
