The summer months are synonymous with dry, brown, crackling grass – a nightmare for those who love their lush green lawn and an affirmation for those who ponder Lawn is nonsense.
When it’s hot outside, your first instinct may be to spill excess water on your lawn, but a brown stain doesn’t necessarily mean a dead lawn. And while watering can help revitalize it, you’re probably using more than the lawn really needs. In a world where water is not an infinite resource, not only is it environmentally friendly to use your lawn less, it also keeps your grass healthier. Here’s what you need to know to make sure you aren’t overwatering your lawn this summer.
Use a screwdriver to know when to water your lawn this summer
How often you water your lawn depends on the type of grass you have, where you live, and how much rainfall your area is. Generally need lawn 1-1.5 inches Watering water a week, and watering once a week, will meet this requirement, although you may need to water twice a week during the dry summer months.
That doesn’t mean you should blindly water your lawn twice a week during the summer. Handle it like any other plant that you want to keep alive and check your moisture levels regularly. To do this, you can buy a moisture meter that is glued directly into your lawn and gives you an accurate reading.
If that’s more information than you really want, you can try the screwdriver technique. California Water News Daily Instructs homeowners to “insert an 8-inch screwdriver into the floor. If you can slide it more than three inches below the surface, you don’t have to water. ”
This is how you can help your lawn retain water in the summer
Grass is a resilient plant. Its long wings convert sunlight into energy and collect rainwater. As the owner of Garden Express Chris Bonnett told express, “[g]rass is clever enough to transport the water and nutrients it stores in its stalks underground to the roots because the temperature is cooler and there are no drying winds. ”In addition, different types of grass and soil store more water than other. The scientifically founded garden site Bio Advanced explained: “[a] The healthy lawn of the fescue has a deep root system and the highest drought tolerance. ”
A deep root system increases the chances of your grass surviving by trapping more water in the soil, and there are better ways to improve the health of your soil than over-watering. Molloy College found that slightly higher grass growth can encourage deeper root growth – and the longer the roots, the better the water retention. To keep your lawn healthy, they recommend removing no more than a third of the full knife from the top while mowing. Adding compost will also improve your soil and promote root growth.
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How to moisturize your lawn and save water at the same time
Water is a precious resource, and while we have easy and constant access to it in most parts of the United States, that does not mean that waste has no environmental impact. Fortunately, there are ways to conserve water and save your lawn. Many rural areas reduce water waste with the help of Cisterns, underground tanks that hold rainwater for later use. Cisterns are one ancient Water-saving method that precedes modern sanitary technology and still makes sense today. The installation of a can can run you over $ 1 per gallon it can hold up (meaning a 500 gallon cistern costs $ 500). An underground cistern is admittedly an expensive way to water your lawn, but it can do more than meet your landscaping needs. According to Hunker, a 2,000-gallon cistern could provide a family of four with adequate water for several months, making it a smart investment for residents in drought-prone areas like Arizona or Southern California.
An easier option is to buy one Rain barrel. When placed under the gutters of your home, a rain barrel will catch the water and hold it in on dry days. It’s best to install one before the rainy season and if you have the space you can hose up several to hold more water to keep your lawn looking green. Lift the barrels on concrete blocks or pallets and install a Nozzle for attaching a hose for easier watering.
