Longmont, CO – – – Americans have a love/hate relationship with their lawns. A majority of Americans appreciate grass, and want to have a healthy lawn if they rent or own a home. But many don’t know how to take care of it.
Proper watering is important. This year some areas of Colorado are experiencing severe drought while others have plenty of water. No matter what your circumstances are, understanding the water needs of your lawn is very important.
During drought, your lawn may go dormant. This is how the plant survives, making it an excellent choice for most conditions. They key is understanding that a dormant lawn is not a dead lawn. Applying a little bit of water periodically will keep the plant alive. However, the grass will not appear green, so some people mistakenly feel that they need to keep applying more water. This isn’t a good idea in drought conditions.
Many areas have plenty of water this year. For those of you who have water, it’s still very important to consider how much water you are applying. Watering too much is simply a waste. Cut back on watering if it has been raining. If you have an automatic sprinkler, be sure you know how to change the timing. You may want to cut back on the amount of time you are watering and/or cut back the number of days you are watering.
The key is understanding how much water your lawn actually needs. This is somewhat dependent upon what variety of grass you have.
Kentucky bluegrass will use 24-26 inches of irrigation per growing season to produce a lawn of excellent quality with no brown spots. It can be grown with 15-20 inches of irrigation per growing season to produce a good lawn of lower, but acceptable quality with some brown spots.
Tall fescue will use 20-22 inches of irrigation per growing season if it develops a deep root system and substantial subsoil moisture exists. Tall fescue will use 18-20 inches of irrigation per growing season if it develops a deep root system.
Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue can become dormant and survive prolonged periods (1-2 months) without precipitation and irrigation.
Don’t waste water. Learn how much your lawn needs and then monitor how much you actually apply. You may be surprised.
The Rocky Mountain Sod Growers are the experts in this arena. The Sod Grower website is full of helpful information. For more information visit www.sod-growers.com