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The past winter produced a phenomenal snowpack and the resulting runoff filled reservoirs and helped everyone feel better about the water situation. Typical summer temperatures can rise rapidly and linger in the high 90s or even triple digits causing a higher demand for water on lawns and landscapes.
Cooler temperatures helped people maintain green lawns longer into the growing season than in typical years. But July and August are normally the hottest months and can create challenges for everyone trying to keep their lawns looking nice.
In most Utah neighborhoods you can drive through and see green, well-cared-for lawns and landscapes with weed-free flower beds and neatly pruned trees and shrubs. Spring brings blossoms and green growth that lasts while the temperatures are cool but can fade quickly and give way to the dry lawns common in summer months.
Many homeowners desire a perfect green lawn and lush landscape, however, achieving this can be challenging because of the dry climate and water issues. Additional concerns are the time and cost to improve the landscape can sometimes be prohibitive. Normal lawn care involves fertilizer, aeration, weed control, mowing, trimming irrigation and all that comes with maintaining a sprinkler system.
As we are at the point of cooler spring-like weather giving way to summer and the warmer temperatures that we will have, lawn maintenance and lawn watering increase dramatically. However, you can help prepare your lawn now for the heat that is certain to come. What you do now can make it easier for you in the next couple of months. Are you ready?
In most of Utah, 90% of lawns are cool-season grasses. These grasses thrive in the cooler seasons and delay growth in the heat. That is why most lawns green up readily in the spring and in the fall and turn yellow or tan as the temperatures increase and things dry out. When it starts to change shades of green it is not dying, it is trying to go dormant for the summer.
Tall Fescue and new varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass are actually quite drought tolerant and can handle periods of less water, but they still might slow down and change from green to yellow to tan when temperatures are hot.
Just like a cool drink of water revives you when you're hot, you can prevent your lawn from entering summer dormancy by irrigating more to keep things cooler and so the plants have adequate water, forcing them to stay a little more active than they naturally would.
Here are three easy, inexpensive things you can do this time of year to get your grass ready for the heat.
Let your lawn stress a bit
The best thing you can do right now for your lawn is let it go as long as possible between irrigation cycles. This helps drive deeper root depth, creating a larger reservoir from which the plants can draw water. Soil is a reservoir for plant roots. When that reservoir is full adding more water won't do anything. It will either drain out of the root zone or run off and be unusable for your plants.
Let your soil dry out a bit before watering. Try watering only when needed, rather than putting it into an automated mode that may be watering 3-4 times per week. If you can water twice per week, you are strengthening the lawn to deal with summer temperatures.
Deeper roots will keep your grass greener once it gets hot. Watering every day encourages shallow roots (why would they go deep if they don't have to) and thatch. Thatch prevents water from permeating into the soil and shallow roots dry up quickly in the heat, causing people to think that they need to water more frequently. The one exception to more frequent watering is in sandy soils, but even then, roots can be trained to grow deeper.
Because it's still cool this is the best time to let your lawn stress because the effects won't be as noticeable as if you were trying to train your grass to grow deep roots in July and August.
Use the proper mowing height
Mowing the grass short creates plant stress that results in a weaker lawn and shallower roots. If you start to mow your lawn at a 3-inch mow height, your lawn will be healthier and look better when the summer heat comes. If 3 inches is too long for you, mow no shorter than 2 inches.
Another practice to consider is aeration. This is useful to reduce thatch, to open up compacted soils and to allow for better air and water movement. Overwatering and overfertilization can lead to thatch which forms a mat-like layer that can get so thick it repels water. Aerating your lawn once a year with a core aerator is a good habit to start. Do it twice a year if you have heavy soil (like clay) or compaction issues. Those with sandy soils or good irrigation practices can often get away with aerating only every other year.
Fix your irrigation system
Though this seems obvious, most dry spots and stress issues result from mismanaged or poorly designed irrigation systems. These spots are often the result of sunken, tilted, broken, clogged, turned irrigation heads, or sprinkler heads that are spaced too far apart. Fix everything now to avoid poor coverage which leads to dry spots or to overwatering the rest of the yard to try to get enough water on the dry spots.
Do a monthly sprinkler system audit. Turn on each of your zones and see if your dry spots are even getting hit by your sprinklers. Most people want to be water efficient so they water during the night and don't see how the sprinklers are doing. Don't be oblivious, turn on your sprinklers and look at what's happening. Fix and align heads and make sure you set timers to the right run times and frequencies.
By doing these three simple things, letting your lawn stress a bit, mowing at the right height and aerating, and auditing your system on a regular basis, you can have a healthy, green lawn this July and August and still manage water in an efficient way.
There is a lot of information about lawns, how to manage them, and sprinkler systems. Weber Basin Water Conservancy District hosts classes and has recorded classes available if you need help. There are lawn removal programs if you feel like you have an area that you could put something in that is attractive and uses less water than lawn grass.
Visit www.weberbasin.gov for classes and information that may help you manage your lawn and be efficient with water while you do it.
