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Dina Freedman ReportingWe've had a little bit of rain here and there, but sometimes it's hard to tell just how much water your lawn really needs.
Hot and dry are two words synonymous with a Utah summer. So what can we do to keep our lawns looking healthy?
We've seen the usual summer time heat lately. Some have been lucky to get thunderstorms in their areas, but many Utahns are left with dry looking lawns.
Clifton Smith, Garden Manager: "The Kentucky Blue Grass, when it starts turning a little darker blue, when you walk across it and your footprints don't come back, come up again very quickly, then you know it needs water."
Sometimes it's difficult to know just how much or how little water your grass actually needs.
Clifton Smith: "It's recommended to put about half an inch of water on your lawn, per sprinkling event."
Or maybe went away for a week and came back to a lawn with dry, brown spots. But you actually shouldn't worry about it. If you just keep watering as usual, it should grow back on its own.
Clifton Smith: "What you're looking for is the same amount of water applied everywhere. And so that means you need head to head coverage. And you need water from one sprinkler head gets to the other head in a kind of a grid pattern. And if that's not your yard, then you're gonna have brown spots in it."
If you have a desert landscape, leave it alone and let the drought-resistant plants take in whatever Mother Nature provides.
If you want those bright colors on wildflowers, they may need a little help too.
David Rice, Conservation Program Manager: "You're gonna want to water them to keep them looking good. Otherwise, a lot of wildflowers in those special mixes, they'll go dormant. They'll bloom when there's water, and then when it's dry, they'll dry up and go dormant on you."
Fruit trees only need a deep watering every three weeks or so.
If you have more questions, you're welcome to visit the Water Conservancy District's gardens. Admission to those gardens is free.
