Water Smart Lawn Care: Save Water Without Sacrificing Green
A lush, green lawn doesn’t have to come with sky-high water bills or waste one of our most valuable resources. Using innovative watering strategies and improving your lawn’s resilience, you can keep it looking great using less water. Here’s how to do it like a pro.
1. Water Deeply, Not Often
Shallow daily watering teaches your grass to stay near the surface, making it more vulnerable to heat and drought. Instead, water 1–2 times per week, giving your lawn about 1 inch each time. This encourages deep roots that can access moisture stored further underground.
2. Pick the Perfect Time
Watering in the early morning (4–9 a.m.) reduces evaporation loss and gives grass time to dry before night, which helps prevent fungal diseases. Avoid midday watering when the sun can waste up to half your efforts.
3. Go High-Tech with Irrigation
An intelligent irrigation controller can adjust watering automatically based on temperature, rainfall, and humidity. Adding a rain sensor ensures you never water right after a storm.
4. Mow to Protect Moisture
Keeping grass at about 3 inches shades the soil, reducing evaporation and cooling the root zone. Taller blades also crowd out weeds, which compete for water. Always mow with sharp blades to prevent stress.
5. Build Healthier Soil
Healthy soil holds moisture like a sponge. Annual aeration and adding compost improve soil structure, allowing water to soak in rather than run off. This means you’ll water less often while still keeping roots happy.
6. Choose the Right Grass
If you’re reseeding or overseeding, pick a drought-tolerant variety that thrives in your climate. Some fescues and buffalo grass need far less water than thirsty bluegrass.
7. Embrace Dormancy When Needed
In extreme heat, cool-season grasses may naturally go dormant and turn golden. This isn’t death—it’s survival mode. Grass can recover after several weeks without water, so irrigation can be saved when needed.