Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Watering tips for your lawn
With summer, we can see some temps that make lawns crunchy. The University of MN Extension has some great ideas to train lawn to be water-wise.
They say, water lawns deeply and infrequently to encourage deep rooting. Shallow watering results in root growth in only the top few inches of the soil which means plants will be unable to survive hot dry conditions in mid-summer.
I love Dramm products. This is a video of just one of their many sprinklers.
Don’t rely on the “set it and forget it” irrigation schedule programmed into most automatic controllers in the spring.
There have been so many times that I’ve seen it pouring rain AND sprinkling too. That drives me crazy as it’s such a waste!
If you have an automatic irrigation system, be sure to adjust the program.
Anyway, on with the tips… you can select lawn grasses that use less water and tolerate drought. Fescue species offer the best drought tolerance. Fine fescues simply use less water, and tall fescue has a deep root system able to access more moisture.
Also, keep your lawn mowed to 3 inches or higher. I know most folks don’t as it almost seems too long but think of it like mulch. It also improves soil and can work to reduce weeds as the blades of grass shade weed seeds.
Of course, the other option is to forgo the expansive lawn and go pollinator friendly! The State of Minnesota offered a program to encourage people to do just that. While funding is not available anymore, the information is. Check out Lawns to Legumes.
I’m into a clover lawn personally!
