Along with timers, check your sprinklers. The back-and-forth, sweeping models are popular, but they waste water to wind and evaporation. Rotary and impulse models are better for large lawns. Pick types with the patterns and coverage that put maximum water on the lawn, not on the driveway and sidewalk. Use a rain gauge to see how much water you’re delivering, and where.
Choose the right grass. In the north, Kentucky bluegrass is popular. Much of the south is carpeted with Bermuda grass. But both make for very thirsty lawns. Alternative species, such as Buffalo grass in the north and centipede grass in the South, require a fraction of the water or fertilizer. And they don’t need much mowing, either. If your lawn is a nitrogen-sucking water hog, maybe it’s time to think about low-mow grasses.
Nourishment is the third issue. Instead of becoming addicted to synthetic fertilizers, an organic lawn is fed with natural compost. Top dressing a lawn with ½” of good-quality “finished” compost in the spring and fall provides the organic matter a lawn needs to thrive. To speed the process, brew some compost tea. (See “Natural Fertilizer,” page 56.) When it’s ready, spray the solution on your lawn.
Many alternatives to lawn grass can thrive in a broad range of climate zones. For example. blue grama (top) grows in zones 3–10. Bella blue grass (middle) grows less than 3” per season in zones 4–8. Buffalo grass (bottom) is suitable for zones 5–10. For more planting ideas, visit www.
highcountrygardens.com.
PEARL’S PREMIUM ULTRA LOW MAINTENANCE LAWN SEED
This grass seed calls itself an environmental game changer. It grows at only one-quarter the rate of bluegrass, requires mowing only once a month, rarely needs water, and looks green in the winter. The secret is a mixture of seeds that grow roots that reach a foot deep after a year, tapping into nutrients and water. Comes in 5 and 25-pound bags in sunny and shady mixtures.
www.pearlspremium.com
59
03.2011
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